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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23644408">Plance Oneshots, Fuck you.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JollyProbiotics/pseuds/JollyProbiotics'>JollyProbiotics</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Criminal!Pidge, Cuban Lance (Voltron), F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, How Do I Tag, Hunger Games, Lance (Voltron) Speaks Spanish, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Monsters &amp; Mana (Voltron), Pidge is done with your bullshit, Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, The shorter chapters are older im sorry, a bit of whump, detective!Lance, ghost!Pidge, mostly AU's, oc child - Freeform, pikelavar - Freeform, plance, there's a kiss in almost every one of these because im that bitch, theres quite a bit of swearing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:22:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23644408</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JollyProbiotics/pseuds/JollyProbiotics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of Plance, Pidgance oneshots and short stories, ranging from magic aus to canon compliant (or something along the lines).</p>
<p>Water your fucking Plance</p>
<p>Rated for language and possibly graphic violence scenes if I feel like writing them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lance &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance/Pidge (Voltron), Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt, Meklavar/Pike, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Pidge doesn't want to go to the diplomatic ball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“But why do I have to go? This is your domain. Let me stay with my babies,” Pidge whined to Shiro, cuddling her current robotic project. Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge, we’ve had this conversation repeatedly. Diplomatic meetings need all of us. If one Paladin is missing, what are the political leaders going to think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That I have better things to do,” Pidge snarked. She placed her robot on the desk and leaned back in her rolling chair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly, and we don’t want that. We want the allies,” Shiro sighed, exasperated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge spun around, not paying attention to the Black Paladin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Allura is going to get you ready. Whether you like it or not. Meet her in her room, or we will be forced to use hostility.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge knew Shiro was just teasing, but she still looked at him dully. “Fuck off. I’ll go in a bit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Watch your language,” he scolded. “And we’re going to be at the ball in three hours, so I suggest you hurry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pfft. Three hours. That’s plenty of time,” Pidge muttered as Shiro walked away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not for what I have planned!” Allura squealed. She entered the lab and grabbed Pidge by the arm, not caring for the protests that the bantam girl made. She was dragged out of the room, and didn’t even have time to lock the door before she was subjected to torture. Oh well, she and Allura needed some girl time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh god Hunk is gonna snoop.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And he’ll drag Lance along. Fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge was placed on Allura’s bed. She was surrounded by dresses and headpieces and all Pidge could feel was dread. She hadn’t worn a dress since before the Kerberos mission. And the only reason for that was because her mother insisted on it. She ran her hand along the soft material and felt a pit grow in her stomach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Pidge, I suggest we stay with the green, to match your suit. And we keep a natural look with the hair and makeup.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Makeup?” Pidge asked, unconsciously scooting backwards and away from Allura. The Altean woman just laughed softly and scooped up the dresses with her arms. Pidge cringed at the thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, I think this will fit you.” Allura held up a hanger with a dark green dress on it. It didn’t look like anything that Pidge had seen Allura wear. It also looked nothing like the traditional Altean party wear she had seen in Allura’s closet. It looked more earthen. The straps sat off of the shoulders, and the front was a cross style. It was a tea length. Pidge only remembered that from when she had been taking to get a dress for her school dance.That’s what the clerk had said, at least. The waist was made up of an intricate lining of more crisscross pieces of fabric. It looked tight. It flared out at the bottom, and lace designs trailed up from the hem. Pidge breathed in, but took the dress from her hand and stalked off to the Altean’s bathroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Each paladin had one, but Allura’s was the largest. Probably because she was royalty. Pidge thought as she changed. If Allura was the last Altean, and she was a princess, then…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Allura,” she started as she emerged from the side room. “If-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my goodness, Pidge! You look so amazing!” Allura squealed. “Come, come, sit so I can do your hair!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge sighed, but sat in the chair nonetheless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, you and I really haven’t had many girl chats,” said Pidge. Allura combed her hair gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “I guess not. Hmm. What do girls on earth talk about?” She started pulling back small strands of hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boys, I think. I was never invited to many of the sleepovers and parties that the girls on earth had.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you and I shall talk about boys then. Make up for all the times you missed out on. I have noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with a certain blue paladin.” Allura smirked and leaned down. “Does our dear Pidge have feelings?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge flushed heavily and looked away from Allura’s gaze in the mirror. She lifted her phone from the dresser top and unlocked it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s my proof,” Allura laughed. Pidge’s home screen was a picture of Pidge and Lance. The photo had been taken by Hunk, while the blue and green paladin had fallen asleep playing video games in Lance’s room. Lance’s arm was wrapped around Pidge’s shoulder, while she was snuggled in close to his side. Pidge’s mind went back to the next morning. It had been very awkward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not proof of anything. Besides, Lance would never like me like that. He’s into girls like you, not me,” she said somberly. Allura frowned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I disagree. I think Lance might feel the same way about you.” She finished off Pidge’s hairdo by spraying it with what Pidge assumed was hairspray. Pidge made a ‘pfft’ sound in response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The day Lance likes me back is the day I get shot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Allura gasped. Pidge just shrugged and scrolled through her music folder. The music she had very legally downloaded. She selected Miss Jackson by Panic! at the Disco. She thought Allura would like the music. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was right, as the older girl started moving to the music while she dusted some strange powder across Pidge’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, I’m not the only one who’s been making eyes at an individual on the ship. I’ve seen the way you look at Shiro,” she smirked. Her eyes were closed, but she could feel Allura tense up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s no way to speak to royalty,” Allura teased. “Besides, I know that if I were to try, I could probably win him over.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh please, I’ve already started planning the wedding. He’s totally into you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And how is it that you can tell that, while you can’t see that Lance makes, what was it that Hunk said? Goo-goo eyes at you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pfft,” Pidge said again. She had no reason to believe it. He had flirted with dozens of women, and never once had even looked at her. If he held interest like Allura said, he would have at least hit on her once, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, tonight is a ball. And at a ball you dance, so I’m sure you can win Shiro over with those sick moves,” Pidge laughed unattractively. Allura made an attempt at what Pidge would call krumping, and the younger girl had to stop herself from toppling out of the chair she was in. She stood swiftly and grabbed Allura’s hands. The two danced around the room as Let’s Be Friends by Emily Osment started playing. They spun and danced, and Pidge felt like she could tell Allura anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, I’m so in love with him. This song basically describes our relationship,” she complained, flopping backwards onto the bed, not caring that she wrinkled her dress.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Think I'll be turning that around. Don't you wanna?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Pidge’s phone blared. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Allura, is Pidge in here?” Lance’s head poked into the room without knocking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you know how to knock!” Allura screeched, throwing a pillow at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry!” he yelled, closing the door. He knocked twice, gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What it would feel like? Let's be friends so we can make out.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that the song I think it is? So Pidge is in there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge really didn’t want Lance to see her. He would make some offhand comment, maybe flirt with her. She would love to hear a cheesy pickup line sent her way. She had heard so many, never directed at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, Katie, you green eyed monster.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not wearing a shirt!” she hollered. Lance sputtered quickly and then said goodbye. Allura looked at Pidge quizzically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did you say that?” she asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I panicked.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If Shiro saw you in all your gorgeous glory, </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> everyone else, wouldn’t you be a little embarrassed?” Pidge raised her eyebrow. Allura thought for a minute, and then flushed. She didn’t make eye contact with the younger woman, and Pidge immediately knew what was going through the princesses mind. She hit Allura with another pillow and the princess snapped out of whatever daydream she was stuck in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Disgusting!” Pidge screeched as Allura started giggling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Shiro’s voice said through the speakers, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>we’re almost there. Coran says that words like our curses and swears, are signs of war, so </span>
  </em>
  <span>Pidge and Lance</span>
  <em>
    <span> watch your mouths.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, fuck off,” Pidge replied, knowing he couldn’t hear. Allura still wasn’t accustomed to earth swear words, but she knew from the literal definitions that they were vulgar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I want everyone on the main deck</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Coran added in. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Except the girls. I know they need a bit of extra time.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He laughed. Both the girls rolled their eyes, while Allura went off to get into her dress. When she emerged from the closet, Pidge could only describe her as… Barbie-like. Her pink ball gown was hemmed with flowers, and it was so poofy Pidge wondered if she would even be capable of getting through the door in it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hot damn! You’re getting laid for sure tonight!” Pidge jumped up from the bed and swiftly walked towards the other girl. She ran her hands along the off shoulder sleeves. They matched the base of the dress, with the rose lining.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They felt the slight rumble of the castle landing on solid ground, and looked at each other with grins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go catch the men of our dreams,” Allura giggled, holding out her arm for Pidge to take. She did gracefully, imitating what she assumed a princess would do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t necessarily call Lance a man. More of an over sized child.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two girls stayed at each other's side for most of the night.  Pidge had unconsciously been avoiding Lance. He hadn’t seen her, and she wasn’t upset with that. What she was upset with was how embarrassed she felt just to be dressed like this. She wouldn’t allow Allura to stray too far from her, and when the princess seemed tired of all the mingling, Allura suggested that they go outside to get away. Pidge gratefully took the offer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They walked through the hedge maze. It wasn’t tall, and on her toes Allura could see over the top, but Pidge wasn’t able to even see the top itself. The two wandered through, Allura occasionally looking over to see where the castle was. Not their ship, but the castle that the Norlixian’s were housing the ball.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They giggled for a while, and then found the center. Pidge put on music once more and the two giggled and danced. Pidge was sure that the men could handle any political issues, so neither of them worried about time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually they turned off the music, and sat down on the edge of the fountain, just talking like girls do. They were two seperate people entirely, but being the only two girls on the ship definitely forged a bond between them. Somehow, the conversation turned to them talking about Lance and Shiro, and their favourite parts of each male.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, his smile. And I know he’s always smiling, but if he really smiles, it reaches his eyes, and jesus christ when I’m the one that makes him smile like that…” she trailed off. Allura elbowed her gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, Pidge and Allura were shut up by the sound of the Norlix King. It was concerning, because he was supposed to be Pidge signaled for Allura to stay put. Her large dress would immediately give them away. Pidge, however, could move more stealthily. Allura started to sneak back to the building while Pidge stayed to eavesdrop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I’ve removed all Norlixians from the castle. It’s only the Paladins and the off planet guests.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wonderful. The bomb has been placed. Your new castle is currently under construction.” Pidge recognized the voice instantly. Sendak.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was certain they still had him in the cryopod chamber. Unless…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s the little one,” Sendak said. “My least favourite.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit,” she muttered. She turned and ran as fast as she could. But she knew that, since it was a hedge maze, she would get lost. Oh god, she hoped Allura had found her way back swiftly. She knew the other girl could see the top though, and would be able to get back no matter what.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The top</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought. She heard Sendak’s heavy footsteps following her and she quickly grabbed onto the bush. She scurried to the top and her feet unfortunately sank into the bush, but she was able to brace herself against the more solid branches and propel herself forward. She scrambled back to the castle, needing to find the bomb before it went off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tore the dress as she was climbing down, and she felt bad. She also knew that her hair was no longer well put together, and she made a mental note to apologize to Allura later on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She made it back to the ball and opened the door.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“I’m telling you Keith, I haven’t seen the girls at all. I’m worried. Remember the last time we all got separated?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance, calm down. We’ll find them. They’re probably off flirting with Norlixian’s,” said Keith.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope not,” Lance admitted. He, Hunk and Keith were standing near the snack table, while Hunk examined the food. Keith took a bite of the closet thing they could find to a cookie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, still got the hots for Allura?” Hunk asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ew, no one says that anymore. And no. That’s not who I’m worried about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So it’s Pidge,” Keith said, less like a question, and more like he knew all along. He swallowed the remainder of his ‘cookie’ and wiped his hands on his pants, clearly not caring that it wasn’t polite. Especially at a high class social gathering such as this one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lance flushed. Hunk grinned. Keith cackled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The girls are fine. They’re just doing girl things,” Hunk assured, patting his friend on the shoulder. Just then a flash of green and amber passed. Lance immediately registered that it was Pidge. She had leaves in her hair and her dress was torn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three boys raced after. Allura and Shiro were dancing, and none of them wanted to interrupt, even though the situation could be dire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lance watched as Pidge skidded to a halt, tapped a few buttons on her wristwatch, and allowed a map of the building to appear. It was holographic, and Pidge was able to tap on it. It sent a scan through the map, and a bright red dot started flashing on the map in the spot that they stood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge, what’s going on?” Keith asked her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get everyone out of the building. There’s a bomb.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Hunk asked, terror spreading across his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know how big it is, but I’ll explain later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk and Keith raced off to shoo everyone away from the building. Lance stayed to help Pidge dispose of the bomb properly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where do you think it is?” he asked, crouching down next to her. “You look great, by the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No time for your jokes, Lance. And the scan says it should be right here,” she trailed off and looked around. “But I don’t... oh there it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was pointing at a spot out of both of their reach. It was a vent hatch. Lance looked at it nervously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lift me up,” she said to him, closing her watch-map. She looked at him expectantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What,” he spluttered. “I’m not letting you take out the bomb on your own.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge ignored him and started tearing the skirt part of her dress off. Lance felt his ears burn and he turned away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh calm down, you weirdo,” she scoffed. She had on a pair of athletic shorts, and Lance breathed a sigh of relief when he looked over and saw them. She looked at him, eyebrow raised, and then made a lifting motion with her arms. “We literally have no time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sudden loud beeping rang from the vent. She started panicking and ignored any protests he made, scrambling to get up the wall. Hunk’s face appeared in a holographic form on her watch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one is listening, what do we do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold tight, and get out. Get Allura and Shiro and Coran and anyone that </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> listen.” Panic was evident in her voice. Hunk’s face dissipated and Pidge stopped trying to grip the wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance, I really need you, please.” Her expression was pleading, and something clicked in Lance. He stepped forwards and she scrambled onto his back, eventually managing her way onto his shoulders. She punched out the screen of the vent and pulled herself in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got it!” her voice rang through the vent. The beeping was getting faster, and Lance had seen enough action movies to know what was happening. It was about to go off. Pidge dropped it out of the vent and Lance dove to catch it, having stepped back before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you catch me?” she asked. Lance was unsure. She may have been tiny, weighing in at about only ninety five pounds, but he was willing to try. He nodded. Pidge wasn’t stupid, so she didn’t leap. She lowered herself down, and then when she was hanging on by merely the tips of her fingers, she let go. Lance caught her by the waist and set her down gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a simple thank you, Pidge dropped down to her knees next to the bomb and pulled off the cover.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance, get out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said get out. There’s the stereotypical timer, and I have two minutes, eighteen seconds. And no tools. I need you out of the building, because I don’t know if I’ll be able to disable it in time.” She was fiddling the entire time she spoke, and she melted the screw with a laser on her watch. Lance wondered how much she had modified it, and stood his ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not going. Just let it go off, we can get out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance, the amount of explosives in this thing, it could decimate half the planet. It’s basically a nuke.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lance paled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just go.” Her voice cracked. Was she crying? Lance crouched next to her. He couldn’t read the small writing on each of the wires, but Pidge seemed to know what she was doing. He trusted her with his whole being. He knew she could do it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The green wire leading to what looks like a stick of dynamite,” she said, not to Lance but to herself. Lance loved when she rambled, and knew he would have found it adorable, if they weren’t stuck in a life or death situation with almost no way out. “It’s what’s connected the timer to the bomb.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her face lit up, and she stuck the wire between her teeth and pulled. The wire snapped and the beeping slowed to a stop. She spat out the piece that she had torn off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, I hope that did it. It- the timer is still going, but I think that’s the right wire. Any others could set off the bomb sooner.” She sounded so unsure. Lance wrapped his arms around her waist, as she was sitting in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance I- I’m scared. I-i-if I didn’t get it then we all die. Zarkon takes over and-” she stopped talking when the timer hit three.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then two.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing happened. Pidge tensed in Lance’s arms, but he stayed relaxed. He knew that she could do it, and when the bomb didn’t go off, Pidge exhaled shakily. Lance crawled in front of her and gave her his award winning grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, so not an award winning grin. A dopey smile. His right hand rested in the hair just at the base of her hairline. He looped it around his fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew you could do it. Never had a doubt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge surged forwards and captured his lips in hers. Lance didn’t hesitate to kiss back. He was so proud of her. Her arms were thrown around his shoulders, and his left hand supported his weight while he leaned forwards. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge gasped and pulled back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I destroyed Allura’s dress.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Thanks, Sharpshooter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance woke up on his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This wouldn’t be an issue, had he not fallen asleep next to Pidge. The two had spent the night playing video games, and he’d passed out before they beat the last level. Sure, there was always the possibility that she would have left, but there was almost no way that she would have woken up before Lance, her being a late riser.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance opened his door with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>woosh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and slowly wandered into the kitchen, finding Hunk making breakfast, some kind of eggs. He sat between Shiro and Keith, and stared at Pidge’s empty seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” said Shiro, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “She left earlier today. She’s off to find her brother. She had a huge lead, and we couldn’t tell her to stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nodded, and took the plate Hunk was handing him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did she leave?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About two vargas ago.” Keith took a big bite of his food, and cringed slightly. It wasn’t eggs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance pushed his plate away, stating that he wasn’t feeling too well, so as to not hurt Hunk’s feelings. “When do you think she’ll be back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It depends. A Quintant, a movement. Shouldn’t be any longer than that though,” answered Shiro. Lance nodded again, and stood from the table, going to perform his morning routine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a phoeb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was getting restless. They all sat in their seats on the bridge. Allura drove the ship to a nearby planet. Keith was playing with his knife, no surprise there, Coran was going off about Weblums and things, and Hunk was thinking of new foods to make. Only Shiro seemed as off put as Lance was at Pidge not being there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Paladins,” Allura announced. “I have news. I’ve located the Green Lion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance jumped from his seat and stared at Allura intensely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where?” he all but shouted. Allura looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are en route to the planet now but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speed up the Castle!” Lance now yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-there were no signs of intelligent life on the lion when I scanned for it.” Allura sighed as Lance shrank back into his seat and Shiro stood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll still find her. Don’t worry. And if we don’t, she’ll find us. I know Katie. There’s no way she’ll let anything happen to her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie?” Hunk asked. “Oh. Is that Pidge's real name? I always thought Pidge was a bit strange.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro nodded. “She’s Katie Holt. The daughter of the people I went to space with.” Shiro explained the backstory of how he knew Pidge and her family as Allura set the Castle down on the planet Sysineg. Once the Castle was parked, the four remaining paladins ran out, not even bothering to get into their lions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance made a beeline to the Green Lion. Green opened her mouth for the Paladins to climb into with no hesitation. Something was really wrong. Lance’s eyes widened in fear as he saw smears of blood on the chair, floor and handprints on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk nearly threw up at the sight, and Keith had to calm down Shiro. None of them had gone into the Lion like Lance had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Green Lion roared and closed its mouth and flew off, travelling into space to a neighbouring planet. It was coated in rocks and debris, and a very obviously Galra base was lit up like the fourth of July. Lance summoned his Bayard, and snuck in, somehow unnoticed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would have gotten lost had he not heard blood curdling screams. He ran down the hallway, ignoring any Galra soldiers that he may have alerted. He found a large room and Pidge on her knees in front of the one and only Galra prince. Lotor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The soldiers pointed their guns at Pidge as Lotor ordered her to stand.  She complied and was led to the hall that Lance stood in. Lance almost fell to his knees when he saw the condition Pidge was in. She had been stripped of her armour and was only covered by the black undersuit. Her helmet and Bayard were next to Lotor, set up like trophies and there was a half-assed cast on her left wrist. Dried blood ran down her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After being placed into her cell, the soldiers left, only one remaining to guard her door. Lance took this opportunity to play the knight in shining armour. He shot down the guard and broke the lock to the cell door. Pidge was using her good hand to pry away at floorboards, obviously giving up any other means of escape. She jumped from the floor and spun around, wobbling slightly from the blood loss and fast movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge,” Lance breathed. His eyes watered as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug. “You’re alive!” He laughed and grabbed her face, peppering it with innocent kisses, before pulling her into a real kiss on the lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re here. We’re gonna get you out.” He grabbed Pidge’s good hand and led her from the cell. He managed to retrieve Pidge’s helmet and Bayard and shot their way through the base. The Green Lion roared and traveled to where the two Paladins stood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pidge was put into a healing pod immediately after arrival, and Lance waited next to the pod until she left. It was the middle of the night when the pod opened, and Lance was the only one there. She fell into his arms as the air hissed from the pod and she smiled at him woozily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Sharpshooter.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Ghosty tings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance moved into his college dorm, and immediately clicked with the people there. He got along perfectly with his roommate, and they even spent time together outside of their dorm room. Lance had no complaint about his new living conditions, except that someone kept forgetting to clean out the microwave in the kitchenette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Late one night, Lance was unable to sleep, as his roommate was drunk and kept hiccuping and snoring very loudly. He got up from his bed and threw on a sweater over his bare chest. He padded bare foot into the common rooms and saw a small figure laying on its stomach near the still lit fireplace, a bright laptop on the floor in front of it. Upon closer inspection, Lance noticed that it was a girl, probably a year or two younger than him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he said quietly as he approached her. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Did you just enroll?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” she sighed. “I’ve been here for years.” She pulled her laptop into her lap and turned her attention to Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Sorry, I guess I just haven’t noticed you. Sorry.” Lance rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, feeling embarrassed. He had made friends with everyone in his dorm. Except this girl apparently. He stuck out his hand and tried to regain his composure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The name’s McClain. Lance McClain.” He smiled at her. She took his hand and muttered, “Pidge” under her breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you awake?” she asked. She seemed slightly nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Couldn’t sleep. You?” he replied nonchalantly. She shrugged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just reading an article. It’s like I’m stuck reading it for all eternity,” she half laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance pulled the computer from her grasp and read through the article. It was about the tragic and untimely deaths of two college students. The brother had been hit by a car and had died on impact. The other had killed herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez,” Lance muttered. “That’s harsh.” There was an image of the two students on the side of the article. They both had brown hair and amber eyes. The girl had freckles dusting her face, and the other had a light scar running down his cheek, barely visible anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie and Matt Holt? I’ve heard of them. They lived here before, right?” Lance turned to the girl and his eyes widened in shock. The girl sitting before him looked almost identical to the girl in the picture, save for the short, choppy hair and large, round glasses. He pointed at her, then the picture of the girl, his jaw dropping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You- are you…” he shook his head. He looked the girl in the eyes, and noticed that they were clouded over slightly with white, and that her skin was ghostly pale. It made sense, because after putting two and two together, he realized that this girl might just be a ghost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been trying to figure out how to let lost souls go. I’ve been stuck here since 2007. I’ve heard all the stories from everyone in the dorm. Some are close to being right, but some are ridiculously incorrect.” Pidge took the laptop back from Lance and scrolled through. “But I’m stuck on this page. It doesn’t work when I try to open any other browsers. I just get to look at my brother and the girl I used to be.” She sighed, and laid on her back, closing her eyes. Lance noticed that she was hovering above the ground slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell, I don’t even care if I get out of here. I just want to let my brother out. You know that room upstairs?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The one that’s always locked?” Lance inquired. He really wanted to poke her, to see if his hand would pass through her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. That was my brother’s room. He’s locked in there, and can’t get out. Some kind of barrier that traps us to the last place we slept before death. As you can assume, I fell asleep down here, so I’m free to wander the first floor.” She floated up a little bit higher, scaring Lance. She patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down. Lance was surprised when her hand didn’t pass into him, though a large shiver was sent through him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can- I can t-try to help you out,” Lance offered. Cringing internally at his stuttering, he sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Pidge said, easing Lance’s fear slightly. “I’m not a vengeful spirit. Just a sad one,” she chuckled slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. So do you want m-my help? I have a computer that isn’t possessed to one page.” He stood, followed by Pidge. Well, she more so floated in an upright position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be great!” she squealed. Lance quickly ran up the stairs, and Pidge waited at the base for him to return.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Three weeks. Lance had been staying up late in the common room for three weeks, trying to help Pidge help and her brother. Until the day they stumbled upon an article on witchcraft. It was a type of exorcism that didn’t hurt the spirit, and just let it go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is it!” cried Pidge. She ran to the cupboards and started pulling ingredients from them. Her feet didn’t hit the floor as she ran, but she still tried nonetheless. Lance found it adorable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unbeknownst to Pidge, he had started to fall for her. He knew it was a mistake. He knew that once her brother was sent back, she would want to go with him. He sighed at this thought, and followed the spritely spirit to the kitchenette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do we even have everything?” he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder as she hovered in midair, rustling through their cupboards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to face him. “Would you mind, uh, maybe… um,” she bit her lip. “Maybe putting blood into a cup? We need just a little bit.” She rushed the last bit. Lance stared at her. He was willing to do almost anything to help her, but even this was a bit far. He looked at her pleading face, and nodded. She thanked him with a smile and a quick kiss to his cheek, before throwing all the ingredients into a bowl, and turning to him, needing the last piece.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled out his pocket knife and slid the blade down the inside of his palm, squeezing the thick red liquid into the bowl. Pidge wrapped it tightly with bandages from the first aid kit, and thanked him repeatedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now all that was left to do was to open the door and spread it in the doorway. Lance, being an excellent lock picker, ran up two flights of stairs to the locked room and opened the door. He patted the strange concoction onto the hardwood floor in the doorway, and stepped back. It was the middle of the night, so he had to be quiet, not wanting to disturb anyone else on this floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran back downstairs to the common room and found Pidge burying her face in another person’s shoulder. Lance recognized him as the boy from the article. Pidge’s brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you so much Lance!” she cried, throwing herself into Lance’s arms next. Over her shoulder, Lance could see something moving and changing in the fireplace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge, we have to go.” Matt sighed. He placed a cold hand on Lance’s shoulder and thanked him. He took Pidge’s hand in his own and tried pulling her towards the portal-like fireplace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave another look to Lance and, pulling her hand from Matt’s, flew towards Lance. She pressed her cold lips to his warm ones, and she muttered the words ‘thank you,’ over and over. Lance wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her back gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said finally, one last time. She let go of Lance, and he suddenly felt empty inside. This girl, the one he had fallen for, was leaving. It hurt him inside, but he knew that she had to go with her brother. And he didn’t want to stop her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She linked hands with her brother once more, and they plunged into the swirling fire.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Hey guys, we should play a Ouija board! Let’s see if we can contact the two that died here!” Allura shouted. It was pretty late at night, almost 2 am, and she seemed to be a little tipsy. Then again, so was everyone. It was her birthday, and she had wanted something small, so they hadn’t invited all the sororities and frat houses, but they all still got pissed drunk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone except Lance. He had been missing something. Or someone. And that was Pidge. He sat on the couch, but was quickly dragged to the table to play the silly board game. Most of the people still there were passed out in rooms upstairs, or… doing other things in rooms upstairs. Lance prayed that he had locked his door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The small crowd of still conscious people sat in a circle around the board and placed a hand on the planchette. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, you start. You nee’ get out of that depress mood.” Keith slurred slightly. Lance rolled his eyes, but asked the first question anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is anyone there?” he drawled. The planchette slid to ‘yes.’ Shiro and Romelle’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is your name?” Hunk asked, getting scared. The letters spelled ‘Lance knows me.’ Everyone turned their attention to Lance and he felt a shiver. The eyes that had been previously fixated on him slipped to gazing behind him, unbeknownst to Lance. The planchette moved some more and spelled out, ‘Turn around McClain.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s head snapped up and he turned around in his seat. Nothing was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stand… up… it said stand up?” Allura asked. Lance stood from his seat, and was greeted by a girl hanging upside down in front of his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Loverboy,” she giggled. Lance quickly tore the glasses off of her face and pressed their lips together. She sorted herself out so that she faced the right direction and kissed back, a cold shiver flowing through Lance once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” He slipped his arms around her waist, and she smiled widely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your friends are as pale as me,” she laughed. Lance nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck and smiled against her cold skin.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Tributes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Katie's hand hovered over the large glass bowl. She took a large shaky breath, and loosened her grip on the slip of paper he held, only to grip it tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, it'll be over with sooner if you actually let it go," her brother sighed. He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "They dig into the bowl. They're not gonna pick your name off the top. It's three hours away. You'll be fine. I'll be fine. It's all okay."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie sighed. She let the paper fall from her grasp and watched as it landed silently on the ever growing pile. She couldn't imagine what she would do if her name was called, or her brothers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, we have to go get ready.” Matt took her by the hand and pulled her down from the stand, back to their home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie opened her bedroom door and flopped forwards onto her bed, crinkling the dress that had been laid out for her. The Reaping was stupid. She hated it, and saw no reason why she had to put up with it, and live through the fear of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was her third year placing her name in the bowl, which meant she had to put in three slips of paper in. Luckily, she was only three years away from being done with this bullshit. It was her brothers last year, and she envied him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their parents had both had to suffer through this, and they survived, without having their names called. What made Katie and Matt any different?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie, you need to get ready, darling,” her mother said, knocking lightly on her door. Katie nodded. She took a shower and dried her hair, tying it up neatly. She put on the green dress and black heels, making herself seem slightly taller.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you look gorgeous,” Colleen said to her children. Matt wore a maroon dress shirt tucked into his black jeans, and had washed his hair, combing it to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look very spiffy,” Pidge joked, poking her brother in the cheek. He laughed and gave her a tight hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two siblings wished each other luck, then walked into the gender specific enclosures. Katie stood with the girls and took a large, unsteady breath as the announcer walked up onto the podium and started the long ass speech.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie zoned out, not caring for what anyone said. Until the names were called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To shake things up, we’ll start with the boys!” Allura squealed. She trotted over to the large glass bowl holding the boys names. She plucked a slip of paper and, once back at the microphone, spoke the name gently into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bandor Pollux.” Katie’s heart split in two. She fought the tears forming at her eyes. She used to babysit that boy. It was his first year putting his name in the bowl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now, for the ladies!” Allura pulled a slip right from the top of the bowl. Katie held her breath, and she could feel the tension hanging in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luca Komar!” Katie couldn’t stand it. Another child she babysat. Another first year. She raised a closed fist and felt her voice crack and go raw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I volunteer as tribute!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie no!” Matt screamed, trying to rush forwards and stop his sister from volunteering. He was stopped by the peacekeepers. Luca did, however, make it over to Katie to give her a hug, sobbing into her dress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe. It’s okay. You don’t have to fight anyone. You’re gonna be okay!” Katie caressed the young girl’s hair. Though they were the same size, Pidge’s arms engulfed the girl fully in the embrace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Allura sighed. “Could we please, have our volunteer up to the stands?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie gave Luca a squeeze on her hand and quickly marched up onto the large stage like platform.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello dear! What is your name?” Allura held the microphone to her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katherine Holt. But most people here call me Pidge.” Katie held a straight face and stared at the buildings behind the rows of children. She didn’t dare make eye contact with anyone, lest she start crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May we have any words from our Tributes?” Allura asked. She handed the microphone to Bandor, and he choked out sons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you mom and dad and Romelle. I’m sorry.” He cried. Katie rushed over to him and hugged him. He cried into the crook of her neck. He was still just a child. The peacekeepers pushed Katie back into her place and Allura handed her the microphone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any words?” She looked on the verge of tears. “What are you thinking, right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no regrets in volunteering. None. If I had the opportunity, I would have volunteered for Bandor as well. And I will work my hardest, and my damnedest, to make sure that boy lives,” Katie groveled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone in the crowd held up three fingers. They whistled a tune, and Katie recognized it as the one that they used to mourn people, and to show respect. Katie took a deep breath, and hoped that they would take her to the train. She didn’t want to cry in front of everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She and Bandor were ushered into separate rooms in the center of the town hall. Katie’s parents and brother rushed into the room and wrapped her in a big hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are going to survive,” Matt cried to her. He handed her his glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s your token. Stay safe, fight and stay alive. You’re smart. I know you can win.” She nodded and they were shoved out so the next family could come in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Romelle and her parents came in and crowded her in an embrace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll keep him safe. As well as I can. I promise.” She wiped her eyes as they screamed thank you’s to her and were taken out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” Luca’s mother cried. She gave Katie the tightest hug she had gotten that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the end of their meetings, they were taken to the train. Katie and Bandor were hand in hand the whole time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Katie whispered. “We’re going to do great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train ride was long, and at night Katie slept in a chair next to Bandor’s bed, only to keep him safe and calm. They met their mentor, a man named Takashi Shirogane, though they called him Shiro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they arrived at the Capitol, the place where the games took place, Bandor had a breakdown. Katie barely managed to keep herself calm and collected as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They entrance ceremony was large and overwhelming. Both Bandor and Katie were given bodysuits with the design of computer chips. They grooves and lines sparked and glowed, and Katie had to admit, they were very interesting. She was very proud of her stylist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The week of training was stressful as well. She actually made a few allies, dare she even say friends. Hunk Garrett, a very kind boy from District 9, the grain district. They provided most of the bakery treats to the Capitol. Keith Kogane, very tough and the strong, silent type. He was from District 7, the forest district. They provided lumber and building materials.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was Lance McClain. He was from District 4. A career. He was from the fishing district, and he knew how to swim, fish and gut like no one else. He had volunteered in place of his older brother. It was his brother’s last year of putting his name in, so Lance wanted to make sure he didn’t ever have to suffer through the Hunger Games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie fought back the thought that she was in love.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The personal assessment wasn’t fun, in any form. Katie was terrified the entire time. She had managed to create an array of weapons in the three minutes that she had, and had shown that they were functional as well. She found herself speaking like an infomercial host. The judges and game makers found it hilarious, however.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As you can see here, the hilt attaches to your wrist for maximum movement, and slaughtering capabilities,” she had a bright smile on the entire time, covering her fear. The game makers laughed the hardest at her bow. The string had snapped as she pulled it back and she covered it up quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a defense mechanism! If someone else tries to use it against me, it will snap and swing back in their face! It’s the perfect trap!” she hollered, exuding confidence. She was dismissed from the assessment chambers, feeling confident with herself.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The scores were displayed later that night. Katie really only paid attention to the people she thought mattered. Keith, for example, got a nine out of twelve. A very high ranking. Hunk, got a seven. Not as good as Keith, but that was understandable. Keith trained a lot with a blade, even before the assessments. Lance got a ten, and Katie’s jaw hit the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How!? There was nothing he could have done in there! I saw it all!” Bandor screeched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had started with District 12. They were announcing District 3’s scores.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From District 3, Bandor Pollux, with a score of, 7.” Coran, the show’s host, announced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone in the room cheered. Katie gave the small boy a hug, and he beamed. He had only turned the age of twelve a week and a half ago, two days before the reaping, so it was surprising that he had to submit his name, and even worse that he was called to battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now, from District 3, Katherine ‘Pidge’ Holt, with a score of, 12. Am- is this correct?” He leaned off the screen and spoke to a show producer. “This is, in fact, correct. For her courageous and charismatic attitude, and skill, and wit, and survival instincts. She earned a 12. Is this- this is the highest score, correct?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone off screen confirmed this, and Coran regained his professional front, then continued reading scores for the last two districts.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The interviews were extravagant. Katie was dressed in a a black and green dress, and the same heels she wore to the reaping. Her hair was done up with flowers, and she felt overdressed. They didn’t layer too much makeup on, but they definitely weren’t light with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Coran,” she smiled, waving slightly as she took her place on the stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, darling.” When the cheering died down, Coran took her hands, and said, “Did you know the young girl you volunteered for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie nodded. “ I used to babysit her. Bandor, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coran nodded along with her. “I think, we were all very moved when you volunteered. Now, how did you get such a high score? It was your creative, yet strong survival tactics, correct? And your wit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess so. I just proved that I’m not a cardboard cut out. That I have personality. But,” she leaned in towards him, “I’m pretty sure that boy from District 4 is. He could fit all the information in his brain in a paper airplane,” she chuckled. She knew Lance would laugh, and retort with something humorous about her as well. The crowd had erupted into laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? And what else do you have to say about this tribute?” Coran was obviously entertained, thinking that she was starting something between the two of them. She had already made fun of him in training though, and he had laughed, and retorted with something of his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blah, blah, I’m Lance. I wear over sized jackets. Girls, girls, girls. Blah, blah. Keith’s mullet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one in the crowd could breathe. They all laughed too hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of insults when he gets up here.” Katie leaned back farther into the seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, those glasses you’re wearing, Pidge, may I call you Pidge?” Katie nodded, and he continued. “Pidge, you weren’t wearing those glasses during the reaping, were you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re my brothers. My token. I haven’t taken them off since I got them. I had to pop out the lenses, sadly, because I couldn’t see through them. But, they mean a lot. And, can I make a request to the game makers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coran looked to the crowd, and they cheered. He nodded to Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you make sure, that when I die, you make sure my family gets these back? Please?” she asked gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I hope we can. But, why do you say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>when </span>
  </em>
  <span>you die? There’s the chance you will be the winner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I’ll only try to win if, and that’s a hard if. If Bandor dies. I’m going to keep him alive. As well as I can.” Coran wiped a tear away. Pidge couldn’t tell if it was real, or for show.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you. You’ve been a delight.” Katie stood from her seat and walked off stage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance took her place, flashing her an award winning smile as he passed her. She waited for the onslaught of roasts and insults.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, Lance went out and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Coran, how’s it going?” he plopped himself down in the seat and shook Coran’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, my boy. Tell me, what do you think of the girl that came out just before you?” Coran asked slyly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Pidge? I think she’s great. I mean, beautiful, funny, good with weapons, but between you and me, she’s a bit of a know it all.” The crowd laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think she’s pretty?’ Coran asked, after calming the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, she’s gorgeous. Her eyes, behind the glasses even, are huge and shiny, and she’s got the perfect personality. She knows what she’s doing too. I’ve seen her in the training room. She can fight. Oh, and when she gets over to the mind games, she completes them in under a minute. It’s insane to watch her build things too. She built a fully functioning arrow dispenser out of a couple of paper clips, an AA battery and a small piece of wire. There might have been an elastic band in there somewhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge’s heart fluttered. She thought Lance was cute as well, but she knew, in the back of her mind, that he was just playing up the love struck idiot for sponsors. She didn’t think she needed to stick around anymore after that, so she went back up to her room. She didn’t want to be distracted by anything when it came time to snap Lance’s neck.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Bandor, we’ll make it.” Pidge hugged the boy tightly, then pulled away to look him in the eyes. “Don’t worry. When the countdown starts, I’m going to find you on your pedestal, okay. Don’t step off until the bell rings. If you do, it’s game over, okay? As soon as the bell rings though, I want you to run away from the cornucopia, as fast as you can. I want you to find a hiding place, and I will get us food and supplies, okay? Then I will find you, and we’ll stick together. You’re going to do what I say, if you want to stay alive."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bandor nodded rapidly. He was pulled away quickly, as a peacekeeper came to transport them to the helicopter that took them to the arena.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Pidge was taken to the surface, she looked around and spotted Bandor four pedestals away, separated by Lance, Keith, and a Career named Lotor. He had volunteered for the fun of it. Pidge readied herself to run, as the countdown started.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight...”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge ran in blind. As soon as the bell rang, she ran into the cornucopia. She saw Bandor run off, and panic struck when she saw another tribute go after him, though it didn’t click who it was. She grabbed a knife, a bow and quiver of arrows, and a backpack. She stuffed it with as much food as she could find, six full water bottles, as many mechanical items as she could. She was hidden behind a large supply box, so she was difficult to see. She managed to sprint from the cornucopia. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She came face to face with a grinning Lotor, and she sliced her knife along his leg as he lifted his weapon. She continued running in the direction that Bandor went, while Lotor fell to the ground holding his leg. He was immediately swarmed by people wanting to help him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge cackled at his distraction. She looked around. They were in an apocalyptic radioactive wasteland, with broken buildings, debris and rubble strewn about, and dead plants. Everything was dry and dusty, and Pidge was surprised that there weren't zombies wandering around. It looked identical to the description in a book she once read.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She eventually stopped running, and just walked quickly, looking for Bandor, or an indication of where he was. The wasteland spread out for miles, so she hoped he stayed on one track. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She came across one debris pile covered in ‘X’s. They looked like they had been just recently carved in by a small metal scrap. It wasn’t noticeable to anyone else, but it was very clear that was where Bandor was hidden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around her and saw no one else, so she sprinted to the entrance of the destroyed building. She walked in and up a set of stairs. A knife was pointed to her face and she grabbed the wrist holding it. She spun it behind the owners back and held it tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! I tap! You win!” Lance yelled out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie, let go!” Bandor cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie’s hand retracted quickly and she ran over to hug Bandor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank god you’re okay!” Then she spun around. She drew her bow and pointed it at Lance. “I need you to leave. I don’t want you jeopardizing my plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To keep Bandor alive? Look. If I wanted him dead, I would have done it already. He’s just a kid. Screw off with this overprotective bullshit.” Lance pushed the end of the arrow away, and Pidge retracted the weapon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat in the corner next to Bandor and handed him a bottle of water, instructing him to ration it as well as he could. She tossed one over to Lance as well, and glared in his general direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what do you want?” she snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To not die.” Lance grinned at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s asking a lot. Have you looked outside?” Bandor piped up, causing Pidge to chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them survived for a whole day, sleeping in shifts, and keeping watch. That’s when the first bomb dropped. Pidge was asleep when the explosion sounded. She originally thought it was a canon, signaling a death, but when Lance shook her awake frantically, she jumped up and grabbed her bag and weapons. They ran down a flight of stairs and found that the door was blocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, looks like you have a bit of a problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge spun around quickly, weapon drawn, arrow head pointed at Lotor’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, ah, ah, I’d think twice about that, gorgeous,” he smirked, motioning for her to turn around. She saw Lance with the end of his machete pointed at Sendak, one of Lotor’s goons. Sendak had a knife to Bandor’s throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge looked around for any way she could get the three of them out alive. She still had her weapon drawn, so she shot Sendak as she kicked Lotor. She felt a knife slash her upper arm, and Lance lunged at Lotor, stabbing him through the chest with his machete.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge checked on Bandor, and…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was choking on his own blood. Sendak had an arrow in his chest, and his knife in Bandor’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Pidge screamed. She sliced across Sendak’s throat and he fell limp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bandor, no. Baby, it’s okay. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You’re going to go home. I promise.” Pidge cradled him, and stroked his hair. She accidentally got some blood in his light blonde hair, and felt really bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I got something in your hair. I’m sorry buddy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Katie. Thank you… tell my momma I love her. Ple-” he broke into a coughing fit and blood spurted from his mouth. It splashed across her face, and she cried as his eyes closed, and his last breath left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie, I’m sorry.” Lance sighed. He tried to rub her arm, but she winced when he touched it. “Katie, we have to go, there are going to be more bombs. We have to get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promised. I said I would keep him safe!” she sobbed. Lance had to lift her away from the body, and carry her from the building, as she screamed, and cried, and begged to be left with Bandor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please Lance!” She gripped his jacket collar and cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance carried her to another shelter. He opened the door, his knife at the ready in his hand, even holding her in his arms. He marched in and came across Hunk and Keith. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to her?” Hunk asked. Keith seemed skeptical.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The boy from her district.” Lance answered. He set Pidge in the corner of the room and she tugged on her hair, crying to herself about her failure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know how many are left?” Lance asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s the four of us, Lotor and his buddy, and so now that Bandor is, you know-” Pidge let out a loud, choked sob at his name- “I guess, six. I’ve heard 17 canons-” Three canon’s went off. Hunk was counting on his fingers, until he was cut off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just us,” Keith said smartly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock!” Pidge screamed at him. “I can’t kill you, so you’re going to have to off me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four of them pondered it. None of them could do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So another bomb was sent down. Suitable for the wasteland they were in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge crawled out from under the debris, and found both Hunk and Keith, lying dead under piles of rubble. She also found Lance. He was trying to pull himself out from under a piece of the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance,” Pidge coughed. He turned himself around as well as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, beautiful. It’s you and me. Soon to be just you,” he laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t. No jokes. You idiot,” Pidge choked on dust and her own words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiss me,” he smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said no jokes,” Pidge growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not, don’t worry. If I’m going out now, I wanna go out getting a kiss.” He took a deep breath and winced when the cement shifted on his legs. Pidge leaned forwards and pressed her mouth to his. His lips were a lot softer than she expected them to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Lance sighed as he laid down, and accepted his death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge was out of tears. She had no way of expressing any more emotion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three more canons. She won.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then everything went black as she passed out.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Green Magic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance often stared out his window. He would look at the sky, especially at night, when the stars poked their way through the clouds and smog. He looked at the small forest that stretched a short distance behind his house. He watched the cars pass, but what he paid most attention to was the painfully large, old, empty house next door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been years since the last person had lived there. The kind old lady that had previously lived there had passed peacefully in her sleep. The house was always much too expensive for anyone to buy. Not to mention almost everyone believed the rumours of the place being haunted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was looking out of the window, staring into the house, and wondering how no one had broken in and vandalized the place, when a large moving truck pulled up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was called down to dinner, so he was unable to continue watching. He ran down two flights of stairs and found his whole family sitting at the table and waiting to eat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been calling you for the last five minutes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mijo</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” his mother sighed, “What were you doing up there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His older sister Veronica snickered slightly, earning a swat from their mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“New neighbours.” He sat down and stared inhaling his food, hoping to get back up to his room soon. He was very intrigued at the fact that someone had finally moved in. Luck was not on his side however, because not only did he have to clean up after dinner, it was also family game night. He was really not really into it, and kept trying to lose the games, so that they would end sooner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time he got back to his room, the sun had gone down, and he had to head to sleep. Spring break as it was, he had to get back into the school routine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He passed out hoping that the new neighbours had someone his age with them. He was, annoyingly, the only teenager on his block.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He woke up at six am, and all the lights in the giant wooden house were out, and all the windows and curtains were closed, except for the room directly across from his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a young girl, probably about fifteen or sixteen years of age. She was moving boxes around her room. Lance silently cheered. She looked out her window and waved, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Lance thought this might have been from his excessive tiredness, because he could have sworn the box was hovering next to her. Lance blinked and raised his eyebrows, and the girl swatted the box down. Lance heard the thud from his room. He would have smiled at that, had he not been so confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled kindly and opened her window. Leaning out of it, she quietly hollered, “Howdy neighbour. How’s it going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m great now that there is someone my age around here. How about you?” he asked, smiling back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Katie, but most people call me Pidge. I’d shake your hand but I don’t think I can reach that far,” she laughed at herself. Lance liked the sound of her laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Lance,” he nodded politely. “But most people call me… Lance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lovely to meet you Lance. I have to get back to unpacking, and tidying up my room. Maybe I’ll see you again.” She waved once more, then turned around and lifted up another box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Pidge.” She turned around, her kind smile still on her face. “Do you need any help cleaning and organizing anything? My family won’t be awake for another three-ish hours, and I’m bored.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. Come down to the front door and I’ll let you in. But you might want to change out of your pajamas.” She giggled and turned to lift more boxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance quickly shut his curtains and changed into his favourite t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Grabbing his phone and jacket he ran down the stairs and out the door. He ran his hand through his hair and slowed his pace as he walked the short distance along the sidewalk, trying to seem like he hadn’t rushed over as fast as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knocked quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up that might be sleeping, on the door and it  swung open quickly. Pidge stood in the doorway with a soft smile. Lance studied her quickly. She was wearing a shirt almost identical to the design of his, only green instead of blue. Her black jean shorts were obviously cut by her. She invited him in, and led him past stacks and stacks of boxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were only a couple large pieces of furniture in the middle of her room, and a bed pushed to the corner, with piles of boxes at the end of the bed, and more, in a smaller pile at the center of the room. She pulled a broom from the corner of her room and handed it to him, requesting that he sweep the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He accepted and swept away the dust and dirt into a pile in the corner. He helped clear away the cobwebs that had gathered in the upper edges of the walls, while she scrubbed old mirrors and windows, and the mud splatters and stains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Want me to start unpacking boxes?” he asked. Pidge looked up and around the room, then pointed to a large pile at the end of her bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There should be a box of books in there, if you pushed the book shelf to the wall, then put them all on there, I would be pretty grateful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Lance agreed. He rifled through the boxes and found the largest box of them all, labelled ‘Books.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you want them organized?” Lance chuckled at himself. “Dewey decimal, colour coded?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alphabetically, if you don’t mind,” Pidge dead-panned. She pushed her dresser to the wall, and Lance, surprisingly, didn’t have to help her lift the giant mirror. He could have sworn there was a flash of green light from behind him as she lifted it, but he ruled it off as a trick of the light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge organized her clothes into the drawers, and soon the room was clear of dirt and grime, and boxes of trinkets, not including the small pile in the corner. “I’ll deal with that later,” she had said, before Lance offered to take her for coffee. She gratefully accepted and the two of them went downtown to a cute little coffee shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge ordered a caramel macchiato, with two shots of espresso and chocolate sprinkles. Lance found the addition of sprinkles to be adorable, and overlooked the extra espresso shots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance himself ordered a simple iced mocha. When they got to the payment part of their orders, Pidge refused to let Lance pay for her coffee. She pulled the exact change from her pocket. And placed it on the counter for the cashier. The two of them retrieved their coffee, then wandered around town for a while. Lance pointed out shops and buildings, and places that he spends most of his time with his friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He showed her the high school, the convenience store a five minute walk away, the playground, the library, and, at Pidge’s request, the garden store. They talked for a while, and Lance learned that Pidge would be attending his school. She was a year younger than him, but she was bumped up a year.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, where did you move here from?” Lance asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Salem, Massachusetts,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If my history is correct, and it’s probably not, isn’t that where the witch trials were?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Correct. Good job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Pidge, are you a witch?” Lance quirked his eyebrows playfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Lance. Obviously. Because I’m from the place where all witch lore and mythology is from, I’m definitely a witch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you can do magic, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dumbass, I was being sarcastic.” Pidge crossed her arms and tried to fight off her growing smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could tell, don’t worry. Your secret's safe with me.” He winked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Pidge,” Lance coughed. “I can’t make it to school tomorrow. Sorry-” he coughed painfully loud- “I’ll let my friends know what you look like so you can meet them.” A string of sneezes and sniffles followed his sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on,” Pidge said quietly through her window. “I might be able to help you out. I’ll be over in about ten minutes.” She shut her curtains and Lance laid down, staring at the ceiling. A bright flash of green light came from Pidge’s room. Lance assumed he was hallucinating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat back up and looked out the window at Pidge’s previously barren backyard. There had been barren trees, and dead grass and withered flowers before she moved in. Now, it seemed as if everywhere she stepped, life bloomed. There were rose bushes growing along her house. The trees were full of deep green leaves and blossoms. The grass was prosperous and bright green. The flowers were all grown and in full bloom. It was gorgeous. Even the trees at the back of her family's property were looking healthier than the rest. The small enclosure filled to the edges with herbs was also growing beautifully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nadia squealed, and Lance assumed Pidge had arrived. His niece and nephew loved Pidge. She had started making it a tradition to bring them fancy flowers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance’s bedroom door opened and he sat up to find Pidge with a steaming cup in one hand, a jar of the same substance in her other hand, and a rainbow rose in her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here.” She handed him the hot cup. “Careful, it’s really hot.” She placed the jar on his bedside table, and the flower in the vaze next to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance took a slow sip of the mystery drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yum, what’s in this?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Milk, cinnamon, cocoa powder, allspice and some secret ingredients. I also added a bit of vanilla, just to make it better.” She sat on the end of his bed. “It’s going to make you fall asleep, and you probably won’t wake up until noon tomorrow, if you’re not woken up by someone else. I can tell your mom to wake you up for school, or I can yell at you from my window. You’re choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know I won’t wake up? What did you put in it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you all the ingredients, dummy,” she laughed. She took the drink from his hand and set it on his nightstand. She gently pushed him into a horizontal position and pulled the covers up to his chin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sweet dreams, Lance.” She started to leave his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait Pidge,” Lance called through a yawn, “how did you make the flower?” His eyes drooped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magic.” She winked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next day, Pidge hollered out her window to wake Lance up. It didn’t work. She rolled her eyes. She knew the spell would work well, and he should wake up to be completely healthy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She packed her bag with all the essentials. Her spellbook; it was painfully messy. With pages falling out and five different colour pens on one page. Her crystals, and some potions in small jars from the Hobby Shack. She held her hand over everything and let a bright surge of energy flow through her body, turning the items invisible, or into other items, socially acceptable in high school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She also grabbed some empty notebooks and normal pens. Those were kind of important too. Unable to reach them, she had to float slightly to grab them from the top shelf of her closet. She ran down the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kissed her mother and father goodbye, yelling up the stairs to her brother; “hey dumbass! Don’t blow shit up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He yelled a quick “You got it,” and Pidge ran out the door to her neighbours house. She knocked gently on the door, and it swung open to reveal a smiling Nadia, Lance’s niece.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have flowers this time, too?” she asked. Pidge mentally face palmed. Then she figured she could make a flower for the child. No one would believe Nadia if she said Pidge had conjured a flower from thin air. She looked around, and crouched down to Nadia’s level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of flower do you want?” she asked, smiling sweetly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want forget-me-nots!” she said. “Please,” she added quickly. Pidge smiled at the girl. She wound her hands around each other, and a small green light, the signature of her magic, flashed dully. She clasped her hands together, and when she stretched them apart, a small bouquet of forget-me-nots appeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nadia’s eyes widened, and she squealed in delight. Pidge held her finger to her lips, asking the small girl to be quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I come in to go get your </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tio </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lance?” Pidge asked, standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m right here.” Pidge looked up from Nadia to see Lance with wide eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All ready for school?” Pidge asked, nonchalantly. Her stomach dropped, however.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Let’s go.” He turned into the house to grab his bag off the stairs. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Adiós, mamá. Te amo</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” he hollered. He gave Nadia a kiss on the forehead and shut the door behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, um, what was that?” He asked as they walked down the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I pulled a bouquet of flowers out of thin air.” Pidge looked straight ahead. She was slightly scared. Last time someone had found out her family’s… heritage, she had to move away, hence living here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is so cool!” Lance hollered. He lifted Pidge up and spun her around, before making a sudden realization.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You weigh less than my niece. How?” He let go of the smaller girl and she stayed floating where she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s insane. Amazing, but insane.” The two of them continued walking to school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance introduced Pidge to his two best friends, Keith and Hunk. Hunk was ecstatic to meet her, and even Keith was pretty happy to have someone new to spend time with. Lance kept Pidge’s secret, much to her relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boys showed Pidge the ropes of the school, and surprisingly, she was in all of Lance’s classes. He suspected she had something to do with it, but she disagreed relentlessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At lunch the four of them hopped in line in the cafeteria and all got different kinds of foods. They sat at a table in the center of the cafeteria, and Lance and Keith pointed out all the people and teachers Pidge needed to avoid at all costs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Johnson is a total pedo. If you ever get him for a gym teacher, switch classes. Right away,” Keith explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, he’s not that bad,” Hunk tried to defend the teacher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes he is.” Lance took a bite of his burger. “And the worst, out of everyone in this school is-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello boys.” Lotor sidled up to the four of them with his posse lagging behind him. “And who might this lovely young lady be?” He grabbed her hand and bowed down to kiss it. She yanked it away quickly and slapped him on the wrist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You little bitch. I will ruin you!” Lotor shouted, catching the attention of others in the cafeteria.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, god, you’ve insulted me! Whatever shall I do? I’ll be mentally and emotionally scarred for life!” Pidge dramatically placed the back of her hand to her forehead and gasped. The boys at her table tried to hide their laughter, ultimately failing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lotor glared at Pidge, then stood to his full height, towering over her. She stood on her chair to match him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mark my words, new girl. I will end your social life. I will make your life miserable.” He pointed a finger at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mark my words, not-new-girl. I don’t give a shit.” Pidge crossed her arms and smiled smugly. She sat back down only when Lotor and his cronies walked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was the only one to notice her hand gesture. It was clearly a spell, but when Hunk looked over, she quickly adjusted her hand and it turned to a middle finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, with that accent, and his over reaction, I could have sworn he was going to yell 'my father will hear about this!'" Pidge giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what you are,” the voice said quietly. It was spoken softly, but the intention of Lotor’s voice was almost screamed at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do too. I’m done with your bullshit.” She slammed her locker door closed and spun around, glaring up at him. She cursed her entire five feet of height and wished she could be even the slightest bit taller.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a witch,” he whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. But I think it’s becoming a hobby of mine to prove you wrong.” Pidge stood on her tippy toes and struggled to reach the binder off the top of the locker. Lance walked up and grabbed it down for her. She thanked him and the two of them walked off to their science class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up Pidgey?” Lance asked her. She looked concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He should have purple skin.” Pidge looked at her hands in slight fear. Lance patted her back reassuringly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine. You probably just cast it wrong. Or he used a lot of makeup to cover it up.” Lance chuckled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but if he didn’t…” Pidge trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That means?” Lance inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It means that something is wrong with my magic, or he’s a witch too. Witches can’t curse each other. And if he’s a witch, we’re probably going to have to move again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we could end up being exposed. That’s what happened last time. I’ll try another charm, but if it doesn’t work, we’re out of here.” Pidge jabbed her thumb behind her and blew a short raspberry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was quite shocked. He didn’t want Pidge to have to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later in the day, after school had let out and Pidge and Lance had walked back home, Pidge ran upstairs and grabbed chalk from her drawer. She waved at Lance before shutting her window and curtains. She drew a circle on the floor and a star in the middle. She sat cross-legged in the center of the circle and closed her eyes, with her hands placed on her knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hummed low in the back of her throat and she started to hover slightly above the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She muttered a simple incantation. The pentagram flashed green for a few solid minutes and Pidge’s hair flew upwards. She repeated her chant twice more, then returned to the ground, content with how the spell had played out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would know the next day, if Lotor truly was a witch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance woke up to knocking on his front door. His family had gone camping for the night, leaving him home alone. When he answered the door, it was Pidge, panic stricken and messy. Her hair was everywhere and her pajamas were ruffled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance,” she breathed. She hugged him tightly, and he patted her back, slightly unnerved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lotor, he’s in my house. He’s done something with my family, and I can’t wake them up, no matter what charms I try,” she cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay, they’ll be fi-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His front door slammed open, and a fuming Pidge stood in his doorway, glaring hard at the other Pidge. Lance turned his attention back to Pidge number one, and found that it was in fact, Lotor himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Glamours don’t work well, Lotor. I swear to god, your impersonation of me wasn’t even that good. Get the hell out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh young Katie, how long have you been a witch now? One, or two hundred years? Because you don’t yet know the capacity of magic I can hold, as one of ten thousand years.” Lotor held his hand up, and it was quickly swarmed with snakes of purple light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Peregrinatione inferis</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Lotor shouted, clasping his hand shut and grabbing Lance by the shoulder. He hadn’t noticed right away, until he felt an odd tingling in his abdomen, and saw that he was turning to dust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Pidge screamed. She rushed forwards and tried to drag him back into her world, but it only quickened the process of disappearance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing Lance could think of was, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>so this is how spiderman felt.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was fully dissipated at this point, and Lotor smirked at Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on man, Death is a dick. Now I have to get Lance back from him? Fuck.” She shot a blast of green energy, shooting him into a wardrobe at the end of the hallway, and tickled her nose before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Green of course.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, let’s get this over with. What do you want this time? More of my soul? It’s gonna be a custody battle at this point, ‘cause I’ve sold it too many times. Or do want to see a hat trick? Name your price, I want him back.” Pidge walked up to a tall man in a red shirt and black pants and poked him in the chest. His flaming hair swooshed around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidgey Pie! Come to visit good ol’ Uncle Death! I haven’t seen you in a century!” Death spread his arms, expecting a hug from Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cut the crap. I want Lance back.” Pidge squinted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, this guy?” Death snapped his fingers and Lance appeared by his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge!” he yelled. He sprinted towards her and tried to wrap her in a hug, only to pass through her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want, Death.” Pidge was more forceful with her words this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A hug.” He opened his arms again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it? A hug?” Pidge crossed her arms across her chest defensively. Death nodded. Pidge looked back at the Dust-Lance and he looked very concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge walked into Death’s open arms and he squeezed her tight. Immediately, she felt searing pain throughout her entire body. She fell to her knees, and was followed down by Death, Lance screaming her name from behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There. A hug,” Death said, Pidge looked at her arms and saw burn marks across her exposed skin. She fought through the pain and turned around, no longer seeing Lance behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sent him home. He’s asleep in his bed, unharmed.” Death sighed. “Sad. I haven’t had another young man around here in awhile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will he remember this in the morning?” Pidge croaked. Her throat was quite possibly, very literally, on fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably. I didn’t strain myself too much. You on the other hand, look like shit.” Pidge nodded weakly. She itched the side of her nose, and disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found herself at the foot of Lance’s bed. He was tucked fast asleep under the covers. She breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto his floor.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Lance woke up. He was in his bed. Not the underworld. He looked around and saw the sunlight filtering in through his bedroom window. Everything was calm. He sat up and slid off his bed, slipping his feet into his blue lion slippers. Then he tripped over Pidge’s unconscious body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit!” he cried. He dropped to his knees next to her and felt her pulse through her burnt skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not okay,” she whispered. “My house. Brother.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance lifted her up, mindful of how she winced and cried when he held her certain ways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He ran next door and burst through Pidge’s front door and up the stairs. He kicked open Matt’s bedroom door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Help. Pidge. Burns. Death? Underworld. Help!” He laid Pidge down on the floor and Matt held his hands over her limp body. A purple-grey light flowed from his hands and into her body. Her burns healed immediately, but her pulse turned very weak. Matt got woozy as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take her outside. Lay her in the grass. It should grow over her. You’ll have to leave her there for a day, and she’ll be fine. Hurry, or it won’t work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance scooped her up and ran outside, laying Pidge on the grass. It immediately grew over her entire body. He sat next to her until the grass retracted itself at the end of the day. She sat up breathing heavily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saved my life.” Lance hugged her, and she said nothing in return, only hugging him back, thankfully not being burnt this time.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Bandanas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>“Cammie! Come on, <em>bambina</em>, Mommy has her meeting in a little bit. It’s time to go to <em>Zio</em></span>Sendak’s house!” Pidge called out, her voice ringing through the small apartment. She started walking towards her daughter’s room, but tripped over a stuffed toy. She picked it up, and found that it was the green lion toy she had been gifted when she was born.</p><p>
  <span>“Camilla Louise, it’s time to g--” her words caught in her throat when she saw her daughter. She was sleeping soundly, curled up in her blankets, and Pidge smiled, her heart warm. Six years ago, at the age of 18, Pidge thought she had made a mistake, but now looking at what had come from that chance encounter, she knew it wasn’t a mistake. It was a miracle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“<em>Bambina</em>, it’s time to go. I’m going to drop you off at <em>Zio</em> Sendak’s house, okay?” she shook her small child awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mamma, I don’t wanna go to <em>Zio</em> Senak’s house. He’s kinda scary.” Camilla climbed into her mother’s arms, and allowed herself to be carried out to the car. Pidge buckled her into her carseat and handed her the stuffed animal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Green wants to go to <em>Zio</em> Sendak’s house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla grabbed the toy and held it in the air, imitating something flying. Pidge fastened her own seat belt and put the car into gear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No she doesn’t. She thinks <em>Zio</em> Senak is scary too. She wants to come to your meeting. I do too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge thought for a moment. Cammie </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t want to go to Sendak’s place. Pidge couldn’t blame her. Sendak wasn’t her favourite gang member either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you what,” Pidge started. “You don’t have to go to Sendak’s house. But, you’re going to wait in the car and read your books, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Ma-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take you to the park after, okay? We’ll get ice cream.” Pidge remembered that she needed to keep her patience. This wasn’t somebody she could pull a gun on. This was her child. Her only family left, aside from the gang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” Cammie shouted enthusiastically. Pidge just laughed and turned on the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>-e ongoing gang battles between the Galra and Volt-</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Pidge shut off the radio quickly, but not before Camilla could ask the question, “What’s a Galra?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look! We’re here!” Pidge said, hopefully dispelling any more questions Camilla might have. Pidge rolled down the windows slightly, giving Cammie some fresh air to breathe, as the six-year-old picked through her pile of books in the backseat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge’s gang meeting lasted longer than she expected. She sat with her chin in her hands as Lotor droned on and on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“--ut as usual, Pidge was the only one capable of completing her task.” Her head perked up as Lotor said her name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I only got half the data we need. The big one came in. I wasn’t caught, don’t worry. I’m going back tonight,” Pidge explained. Lotor nodded. So long as his right hand man, or woman, finished the task before the end of the week, they wouldn’t have any problems. They needed to get the drop on the opposing gang in the city Arus, before anymore gang fights, or even full out wars broke out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s alright. But get it done. We don’t know what the other side is planning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Haxus muttered something across the table, and Pidge raised her eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that, Haxus?” Lotor questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said, you’re going soft on this girl. Any of us would have been lashed, but her, nooooo. She gets special treatment for being your right hand girl.” Haxus stood, followed by Lotor and Pidge. “That little bitch is treated like a queen here, and it’s bullshit!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lotor pulled a handgun from his jeans and aimed at Haxus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Pidge yelled. “My daughter is out in the parking lot. I don’t want her exposed to the sound of gunshots yet.” Lotor lowed his gun, but glowered at Haxus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re only still alive because we all care about that child,” Lotor gritted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of, am I taking her tonight?” Keith asked. Pidge nodded, and tied her hair back with her violet bandanna.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to get back to her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pidge climbed into her car and looked at her daughter in the backseat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Pidge asked, upon seeing Camilla’s tear stricken face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“D-d-dobby!” she cried out. Pidge was proud that she had taught her daughter to read at such a young age.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my <em>bambina</em>,” Pidge giggled. “Let’s go to the park, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla nodded, her cries lowering to the occasional hiccup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pulled into the parking lot and Camilla right away ran to the swing. There was another boy playing on the swing next to hers. Pidge sat on a bench and read her book quietly for a while. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up to check on Camilla, and saw that she was chatting happily with the boy on the neighbouring swing. Pidge smiled and returned to her book for a moment, before Cammie ran up and started speaking quickly and excitedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“<em>Mamamina</em>! Can I play with my new friend? He lives across the road!” Camilla pointed towards the light blue house across from the playground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to meet the mummy or daddy of your new friend before you can play at his or her house, right?” Pidge reminded kindly. Camilla nodded and grabbed Pidge’s hand, pulling towards a tall man with tan skin, while the boy she had played with pulled the man over to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blue, <em>mijo</em>, chill out!” he laughed as his son tugged him by the wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge and Camilla met them halfway, and Pidge started to speak, a small smile on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, my name is Ka-” she stopped herself halfway through her sentence, noticing the blue bandanna tied through his belt loop. He seemed to notice the purple one in her hair, because he lost his cheerful expression at the sight of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge’s left hand twitched to her side, instinctively going for the gun she held in her pants. He did the same, but neither of them drew.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There are kids here. Don’t,</span>
  </em>
  <span> her expression said.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So long as you don’t. My son doesn’t need this,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mamma, you met Blue’s daddy, can we play now?” Camilla asked, eagerly looking between Pidge and the boy’s father. Pidge dropped down to her daughter's level, the man’s right hand twitching once more, ever so subtly, at her sudden movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t play today, silly,” she giggled, bopping a finger on her daughter’s nose. “We have to go get ice cream! Then mummy has a lot to do later.” Pidge’s eyes glanced up at the man with the blue bandanna, his glaring daggers at her. Pidge stood from her crouched position. “You can play for five more minutes,” she opened her hand, showing all five fingers, no longer giving a damn about making sudden movements, “but then we have to go, okay? You’re going to have a sleepover with <em>Zio</em> Keith.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Mamma! Can’t I have a sleepover with Blue instead?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No buts<em> bambina. Zio</em> is really excited!” Pidge explained enthusiastically. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please just agree!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” She turned to Blue. “Want to play some more until I have to leave?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank God!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Blue jumped up and grabbed her hand, running with her to the teeter-totter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge gave one more glance at Blue’s father, then nodded curtly and walked away. She knew it was stupid to turn her back, but they were in a public place. He wouldn’t try anything at a playground. She gathered her things, waiting for her child, and tried not to think of her encounter with a member of the Voltron Gang.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilla finished off the end of her ice cream cone, and stretched her arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired Mamma. Do I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> have to go to Uncle Keith’s house?” Cammie whined. Pidge put a carton of eggs into her grocery basket, next to the yogurt tubes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Cam, but I’ve got to work late tonight.” Pidge grabbed the child’s hand and brought her along through the store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think your boss is a vanpire,” Cammie said stoically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think?” Pidge said, playing along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. He always wants people to work late at night so he can submer- sum- sood… soodnerti…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Supervise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! He wants to supertives you. But he can’t in the daytime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him eat any food either,” Pidge threw in, grabbing a loaf of bread from the bakery. Camilla’s eyes widened in fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew it!” she cheered. Pidge laughed under her breath. “Does Uncle Keith believe in vanpires?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him.” They stood in the checkout line in near silence, Camilla humming ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ quietly, until their time to pay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It started to get dark as Pidge walked out to the car, carrying a single grocery bag and a very tired Cammie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once in the car, after double checking Camilla’s seatbelt, and that she was completely passed out, Pidge pulled out of the parking lot, and drove five minutes to Keith’s house. She carried the sleeping six-year-old up the handful of stairs to Keith’s front door and knocked lightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her friend answered, wearing his usual black t-shirt and jeans of the same colour. She passed the child into his arms, and thanked him quietly. The door was shut and she pulled out her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Axca. I’m calling in a favour you and the girls owe me. No, it won’t get you arrested. You’ll probably actually enjoy it. Promise.” Pidge examined her nails as her friend went off on the usual spiel, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no cops, no prostitution, she gets a cut, yadda yadda yadda</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, are you done?” Pidge asked snootily. “Good. Get a pen and paper. I need you to throw a party. I’ll give you the address in a second.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once finished with the call, she knocked on Keith’s door and gave him the address to give everyone he knew, not in the gang, however. He nodded and pulled out his phone to send messages and make calls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge sat in her car until Axca called back with the confirmation that she would be at the warehouse with booze and glowsticks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect. Love ya babe!” she teased. Axca giggled before hanging up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge drove to the “headquarters” of The Galra. She smiled at Branko as she held up the finger sign and walked in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a duffel bag, she gathered a crowbar, extra ammunition, and connectors that she had built. She stuffed an empty USB drive in her back pocket and marched out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She drove her car through the mud pit behind the HQ, careful to cover her license plate, before speeding off to the warehouse that Voltron housed their endeavours. Pidge was lucky enough to stumble upon them when she was driving her daughter to school.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m so sorry!” she cried. “I thought this was the soup kitchen. Ever since my husband left us, I’ve been struggling to make ends meet. I just thought…” Pidge looked sadly at the child sleeping in the car. The man at the door followed her gaze and his face softened significantly, surprising, because he seemed very kind and not hard gazed at all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s not a problem at all!” the man that answered the door said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. He was even kind enough to bring her into the warehouse, past the bridge, or the place where they stored all their information. Pidge got a good enough look at the warehouse through her peripherals, while being led to the kitchen. The man loaded her up with food, homemade and else. She thanked him profusely while he led her out, though not through the same way he had led her in.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking back, Pidge laughed out loud at the stupidity of the opposing gang.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Except the one at the park…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Pidge shook that thought from her head. The mission came first, before anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The party was in full swing before she even arrived. She was subtly proud of her ingenuity. She climbed out of her car and walked around the back, to the kitchen. She peaked through a crack in the boards covering the window. She saw no one there, so she untied her black leather jacket from her waist and shrugged it on to her torso. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled two hairpins out and bent them to the shape she needed to pick the lock. She slipped into the building and through the industrial sized kitchen, into the bridge. Pidge stuck the USB drive into the port and started typing rapidly, downloading information on what they were doing, or going to do in the future.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>98%. Almost there.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you? What the hell are you doing in here?” Pidge spun around. It was a man with a white tuft of hair at the front of his head. He had a blue bandanna tied around his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry!” Pidge cried. “I was looking for the bathroom. I thought this device was some kind of map to show me how to get around.” She backed up, hoping to seem intimidated. Her right hand slowly reached back to grab the USB, while her left reached to her side, making a grab for her gun. Before either of them could move, the sound of glass shattering filled the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge used this distraction to turn around and check the download. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Download complete,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” said an automated voice. The man’s head snapped back around to stare at Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I hit a button,” Pidge said innocently, pulling the USB drive out quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck is that?” He pointed to the USB drive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This?” She held it up. “It’s a USB device. It’s amazing for downloading information and storing it in a small and portable device. Fits right in your pocket. Very handy.” She slipped it into her back pocket once more and pulled her gun on the man in one swift motion. She smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got to go. But I must say. You throw a great party.” She shot at his foot, purposely </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> missing, enough to distract him, so she could run by. The biggest problem was his broad stance, filling up the whole single door entrance. She slid through his legs and ran for the railing on the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everybody leave! Or we will call the police!” a voice yelled. Pidge pinpointed the owner and saw that it was none other than Blue’s father, the man from the park. Pidge kicked out three of the stairs that she ran up, as the building was old, and the wooden stairs were rotting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you won’t,” Pidge called out from her place at the top of the stairs. She leaned against the railing, listening to it creak unceremoniously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You!” Blue’s father yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right! It’s me!” Pidge grinned down. She had already been caught, might as well have some fun at this point, right? “And no, you won’t call the cops. You are the notorious gang, Voltron, right? This is your headquarters?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room shared a collective gasp. Pidge grinned deviously down at Blue’s father.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, just go up and get her,” another man said, the one that had given her food after falling for her lie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A woman with white hair, clearly dyed, since she couldn’t have been older than twenty-five, pulled out a gun and aimed at Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allura no! She has a daughter!” Lance yelled as the gunshot rang out, hitting Pidge in the arm and causing her to fall. She broke the old railing and fell to the ground. That’s all she remembered before passing out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance ran forwards as she fell. Her shout of pain and surprise filled the silent room. She hit Lance’s arms and fell unconscious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everybody out!” Shiro boomed. Everyone started screaming and scrambling to get out the door. Lance lowered the woman to the ground and made sure she was still breathing, still had a pulse, all that jazz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shielded her from the people that would have trampled over her in their haste, taking the brunt of any shoes that kicked him while running. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the building had been cleared, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the infirmary. He hoped Blue was still asleep at home, safe and sound. He had to leave when he got the call that the gang's warehouse had been infiltrated, and a party was being thrown. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance set her down gently on a cot and removed her jacket. The green t-shirt she wore earlier in the day had been shed, only to be replaced with a black one. Her purple bandanna was still in her hair, however.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He called for Coran and the ginger man rushed forwards. He took one look at the bullet wound in Camilla’s mother’s arm and grabbed all his utensils. He started to work on digging the bullet out while Lance gathered bandaging materials. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s hope she stays unconscious for the sutures,” Coran noted under his breath. Lance removed his belt and strapped her to the cot with it, so that she wouldn’t jerk around too much. He put the strap of her bag in her mouth for her to bite in case she woke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coran carefully maneuvered the skin tissue around while he dug out the bullet. Once he was done, Lance handed him tools to stitch her back up. As soon as the needle pierced her skin, she tried to shoot up, crying out in pain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, bite down. That’s it.” Lance smoothed her hair out of her face, trying to soothe her. She started breathing heavily and groaning in pain with every stitch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bandages,” Coran said, quickly wiping a mixture of healing creams and disinfectants across the wound. He wrapped it and tied it off with the bandages Lance handed to him. She had passed out once again, and Lance waited with her until Coran had finished bandaging her up. When the older man was finished the two left the room and Lance immediately sought out Allura.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What that fuck?” he yelled as he slammed Allura against the wall with his forearm, a small bit of spit flying from his mouth as he yelled. “We don’t shoot people! We’re the good guys!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allura glared at him, shoving him off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She exposed our gang. She knows who we are. Shiro said she was downloading intel on us. I’m only sorry I missed her head.” Allura stalked off. Lance fumed. The woman had a daughter. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like for Blue to grow up without any parents, as his mother had run off as soon as he was born, leaving the baby with Lance. Lance remembered Blue telling him that Camilla didn’t have a father. If Allura had hit her in a detrimental spot…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shook the thought from his head, and walked back to the infirmary. He was met by Hunk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is she alright?” he asked nervously. Lance nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’ll live. But we need to search her for the information Shiro said she took.” The two men walked into the infirmary and stood shocked and silent in the doorway. The woman had woken up again and managed to wiggle her way out of the belt strapping her down, as it was still clasped on the cot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“--alk to Cammie? Thanks Keith.” She was on the phone. “Hi <em>mia bambina</em>!” Lance didn’t recognize the language she spoke. “I know you’re tired, honey. You can go back to sleep in a minute. I just wanted to let you know that you’re going to be staying with Uncle Keith for a little while, and that I love you </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much</span>
  </em>
  <span>. More than anything in the whole world. Yes, more than peanut butter.” Allura and Shiro arrived to listen at the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, <em>dolcezza</em>. I don’t know how long. He’s going to take you to school in the morning, okay? Mamma had to go on a business trip.” The woman sniffled. “No, I’m not crying. Don’t worry my baby. I’ll be home soon. My vampire boss said I had to do this special trip. No, he didn’t. Not yet. I’ll tell you when he tells me though, okay? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you give the phone back to Uncle Keith now? Thank you baby. I’ll be home soon.” She finally broke down. “Keith I swear to god if anything happens to her- don’t let her go to any friends' houses. When she asks where I am, I’m on a business trip in the South. Don’t take her to meetings and don’t- Don’t tell me that you know how to raise my child!” her voice raised slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around and saw Lance standing in the doorway. The other three had left. Allura started crying, the severity of what she had done finally hitting her. Shiro took her from the doorway to another room, and Hunk followed, needing to stress cook. His friend had almost killed a single mother. He felt terrible on her behalf. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The strange girl’s face changed from pained and sad to angry. She pulled a gun from her belt - Lance hadn’t seen it, and mentally face palmed - and aimed it at Lance’s face. “I have to go. Yes. Please keep her safe. Okay. Bye.” She hung up and put her phone in her pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move and I’ll shoot, I swear to god.” The woman stepped forwards and Lance stepped back, hands raised in surrender.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m a single parent too. Please,” Lance begged. “Don’t orphan my son.” His voice shook slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t. But I am going to leave. And you’re not going to stop me if you want to stay out of the hospital.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t do anything. I want to help you get back to your daughter.” The woman wiped her eyes quickly. “I just need you to give me back the information you took.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran towards him and slid through his legs, running through the building to the exit. Lance sprinted after her, catching up quickly thanks to his long strides. He ran her into the wall, catching her wrists in his hands and pressing them to the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Pidge Gunderson, by the way,” the woman said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance McClain.” He was breathing heavily, looking down at her, examining her face closely, taking note of how big her eyes were behind her glasses. He was close enough to see every freckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, for a rival gang member, you’re kinda cute.” She smiled up at him, a lopsided grin taking over her features. Lance loosened his grip accidentally and her wrists slipped out of his hands. She brought her knee up to his stomach, and when he doubled over, she placed her hands on his back, pushing down to launch herself over, and shoving him to the ground. She made a break for her car. Lance once again caught up, but not until she was in and buckled up, starting to back out of the parking lot. Lance threw open her car door before she had the chance to lock it, and climbed into the passenger seat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So where are we going?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking about taking you home,” Pidge said, turning to face him with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please. You wouldn’t.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I’m taking you back to your house. You have a son to take care of, right?” Pidge raised an eyebrow, turning her attention back to the dark road ahead of her. Lance stayed silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides,” she continued, “I’m sure Blue’s mother wouldn’t be very pleased to find out that you cheated on her. Is she the woman that shot me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blue’s mother is long gone. She left once he was born.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What the fuck are you doing? You shouldn’t be talking about your personal life with her!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But she just seemed like such a real person. Lance had seen her cry over her child. He decided she wasn’t actually a bad person, just fell in with the wrong crowd. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Like me…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge drove the car, trying to think of a way to get rid of Lance. She hit the on button for her stereo. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Circus</span>
  </em>
  <span> by Brittany Spears started playing. Her phone dinged, and she pulled over the car to answer the text.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was from Lotor.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Lotor: Do you have the information?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Pidge: Yeah, but we have a problem. I was shot in the arm, fixed up, and now Lance McClain is in my car. I don’t think he’s going to leave until I give him the USB…</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Lotor: Just shoot him!</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Pidge: I can’t have blood on my hands with Cammie. Or in my car. That’s nasty.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Lotor: I’ll deal with it.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Pidge: How?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Pidge: Lotor?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Pidge: FUCKING ANSWER ME</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge slammed her phone down on the dash, most likely cracking the screen, and rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment, clutching it tightly. She pulled back onto the road. She drove for another five minutes, ignoring Lance’s questions of “What’s wrong?” “Is everything alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge pulled the car to a stop in front of the light blue house across from the park, and immediately saw that something was wrong. The front door was ajar and had clearly been kicked open. Lance and Pidge scrambled to get out of the car quickly and the two ran to Blue’s room, Pidge following Lance through the small flat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Lance cried. Pidge saw a trashed room and an empty race car bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge’s stomach dropped when she saw the large capital ‘H’ carved into the wall above his bed. Lance fell to his knees and grabbed handfuls of Blue’s blanket, clearly trying not to cry. Pidge pulled out her phone and dialed Keith’s contact. The call went to voicemail after a few rings, so she called again, hoping that he would pick up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Katie</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked, sounding pained. He coughed over the phone. Pidge knew something was wrong. Her real name hadn’t been used in years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith? Where’s Camilla?” Pidge asked frantically. Lance leapt up from the floor and turned to face the small woman. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>He got</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” another coughing fit. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Haxus.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Pidge covered her mouth with her hand, choking out a sob, before rushing to her car, closely followed by Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She started the car and pulled out of the driveway, not even noticing if Lance had gotten in the car or not. She sped over to the warehouse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran into the building, practically kicking open the door, her gun drawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, our dear Katie has arrived. And she’s brought a friend? Hello young man. I am Lotor. And you are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mamma!” Camilla screamed. Haxus held her, while Sendak held a struggling Blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“<em>Papa</em>!” the small boy yelled. Lance had to hold Pidge back from running to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet,” he whispered in her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let them go!” she yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ma-” Haxus cuffed Camilla over the head. Pidge bared her teeth, aiming her gun at Haxus’s head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The children haven’t done anything wrong,” she seethed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While that may be true,” Lotor started, “you two have. Your friend here, Lance, was it? He tagged along, and you didn’t kill him. You also exposed yourself to his gang, and failed to collect the information we needed to take them out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want the fucking information?” She fished the USB out of her back pocket and waved it in the air. “Give me my child, and you can have this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you willing to allow that, Lance?” Lotor asked. Pidge barely caught the glance that Blue and Camilla shared. They were planning something, she could tell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just give us back our children. I don’t care what happens with that information. I just want my son.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Lotor could reply, Blue bit down on Sendak’s arm and was released from his grip. He raced to his father. Pidge pushed them out of the way as a shot rang out and Camilla screamed, so high pitched that Haxus had to cover his ears, dropping her in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four, Pidge, Lance and their respective children, ran out of the building and to the small green station wagon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy I’m not got my seatbelt on!” Camilla cried as Pidge sped out of the parking lot, leaving tire tread marks on the pavement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay baby, just buckle up while we drive.” Lance turned around in his seat to help the two children with their seatbelts. When he finished, Pidge looked in the rear view mirror, and saw Blue snuggled up to the small girl, comforting her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge only slowed the speed of the car when she was sure they weren’t being chased. She slowed down and pulled over, now realizing that they were on the highway. A sharp pain in the side of her stomach finally hit her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah!” she cried out, clutching her side. She now realized that the bullet shot at Blue and Lance had just grazed her side. It wouldn’t be too bad, it just hurt like a bugger right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge, are you alright?” Lance asked. The children had fallen asleep in the back seat, holding each other tightly. Lance leaned closer to examine the injury, the blood staining his hand as he moved the torn clothing from it, removing it from inside the graze. He looked up at her through his eyelashes, and Pidge’s breath hitched. She realized that he was actually quite attractive. The light of the headlights made his hair a gold colour, and her eyes accidentally flitted down to his mouth. His lips looked so </span>
  <em>
    <span>soft.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He surged up from his slouched position and captured her lips in his. His hand slid into her hair as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mama?” Pidge broke away from Lance when she heard the small voice. She thought it was Camilla that had called out, but the voice was slightly deeper. It was Blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instinctively, before she could stop herself, she replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes darling?” Her eyes widened as she made eye contact with Lance, surprised as he was at what she had said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you my new mama?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, dear, I’m sorry. I thought you were Camilla.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay.” Blue leaned his head back against the seat and sighed, closing his eyes once again. Pidge felt her heart crumble. The poor child had no mother. Camilla had no father… and Lance…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, she barely knew him. One kiss meant nothing, and she needed to take them home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled the car back onto the road and drove to her own house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two are welcome to stay here for the night. Blue can stay on one of Cammie’s bunks, and you can have my bed. I have to go help Keith.” Pidge climbed out of the car to carry her daughter into the house. Before she could, however, Lance grabbed her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge nodded before leaving the car and carrying Camilla to her bed, followed by Lance and Blue.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Delivery Boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Pidge, I swear to the good lord above, if you mess with the delivery guy…” Hunk said sternly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not!” Pidge protested. Keith had nothing to contribute, as he rifled through Pidge’s box of movies, looking for something to watch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, just flick through Netflix or something. You’re getting dust everywhere.” Pidge swatted her hand at the particles floating in front of her computer screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith shoved the box away in frustration and plopped onto the couch next to Pidge, the impact causing her to bounce slightly. She threw her legs across his lap, knowing that he wouldn’t care, and continued imputing their order into the Domino’s website.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, so that’s one large pepperoni, and a split deluxe and meat lovers, two 2-litres of Pepsi and hot wings. Anything else?” she asked, flitting her eyes between the two other college students.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh! Cheesy bread,” added Keith. Pidge typed it in quickly and scrolled down to the ‘Special Instructions’ box. She typed rapidly, eyes full of malice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge, what are you doing?” Hunk asked nervously. “I don’t like that look. It means she’s up to something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keith leaned over and read through the order, finally reading what she had put into the box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t knock, just… scream?” he questioned as Pidge clicked the order button. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge!” Hunk whined. “You can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too late. She already sent the order,” said Keith while Pidge cackled maniacally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunk shook his head in disappointment as he collected plates and cups from the cupboard to place on the small table in the center of the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re gonna get in major shit with Iverson, you know that, right?” Keith looked at her, a hint of amusement still in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah. This is a university dorm building! What are the other’s gonna say when a random dude screams “Domino’s is here” or something right outside the building?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, guys, really. I put our room number, so he’ll come right to the door,” Pidge devolved into laughter. At the sound of their friend’s laughter, neither of the boys could hold a straight face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twenty minutes of goofing around and movie searching, a loud yell came from outside the door. It wasn’t so much a scream, as it was a battle cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge fell to the floor laughing and grabbed her wallet off the coffee table. She essentially crawled over to the door and used it to pull herself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The yelling hadn’t stopped for more than a second at a time for the delivery boy to take a breath, and somehow got progressively louder during the thirty seconds it took for Pidge to open the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re my favourite fucking person!” Pidge cried, wiping a few tears from her face with the heels of her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The delivery boy laughed at her reaction. She had to hold her own weight against the doorframe She made eye contact with the boy and his face turned from amusement to admiration. Pidge assumed that he was red in the face from the lack of breath. He quickly covered his change of face with a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you the one that sent the request?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, unable to formulate words. She pointed to the table in the living room and the boy took that as his que to put the items on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you,” said Hunk. “My name is Hunk. That’s Keith and the girl crying on the floor is Pidge. She’ll pay you when she can breathe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance, nice to meet you all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge waved him over and held up a wad of cash from her place on the floor. She most likely over paid him, but didn’t care much. The man deserved a giant tip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Lance said, taking the money and shoving it in his back pocket. He held out his hand and pulled her up. His hand was soft, and Pidge let it linger for much too long. She cleared her throat and let go, turning away with a quick ‘thank you.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I’m surprised I’ve never met you guys,” said Lance, addressing all three. “I live in the dorm below you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Pidge almost never leaves unless we make her, or it’s for a class, and Keith always goes in and out the fire exit,” Hunk turned to Keith and added, “even though he’s not supposed to!” He turned back to Lance and continued his spiel. “I leave like a normal person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance smiled, and Pidge felt her face heat up at the sight. He side eyed her and smirked slightly. Keith and Hunk didn’t notice, and that frustrated Pidge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ve got to get back to work.” He walked to the door. “It was lovely meeting you all.” Pidge closed the door behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge, you’re bright red,” Keith said knowingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up and play the damn movie.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Her Poisonous Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pidge woke up one morning, or as close to morning as you can get in outer space, covered in flower petals. She knew something was wrong. She had watched enough anime to know what was happening. It had to have been that damn flower she sniffed. The planet they had landed on was covered in venomous plants.</p><p>Pidge, being the Paladin of Nature, decided it would be an amazing idea to study up on the things that gave her and her Lion the energy they needed to win battles.</p><p>Allura had given them a run down on each plant, but there was something about this plant that drew Pidge in. It's sickly sweet aroma filling her head with thoughts of cotton candy, and bubble baths and... Keith? No.</p><p>Pidge walked towards the flower, absolutely mesmerized by the bright pink petals. They started a deep fuchsia at the center, and the colour lightened all the way out to the tips, where they reached a vibrant, almost neon pink.</p><p>Somehow, all the warnings Allura had filled her head with jumped out, and her only thought was, <em>smell the flower, it's good for you</em>.</p><p><em>Clearly not,</em> thought Pidge as she looked around at all the flowers she must have thrown up throughout the night. Pidge took in a deep breath.</p><p>"It's okay. I can get through this." <em>I just have to hide it from my team until Keith likes me back.</em> "Oh fuck." She took a double take on all the flowers surrounding her. "I've really got it bad. And... for Keith?"</p><p>Pidge got out of bed, throwing her covers everywhere as she struggled to untangle herself from the sheets. Flower petals fell as she stood and she angrily marched to the shower.</p><p>Before she could even reach the shower in her room, she keeled over in pain, clutching her stomach and wondering how she had not woken up throughout the night from the sharp pains in her stomach. She was forced to open her mouth as the flowers pushed their way to the top of her throat.</p><p><em>He will never love you</em>, a voice hissed. The same voice, Pidge realized, as the one telling her to smell the flower yesterday. <em>You will live in this pain, until you die!</em></p><p>"No," Pidge said softly. "No, no, no!"</p><p>Pidge screamed in pain as she retched up another mouthful of flowers. Pidge pushed herself into the shower, suddenly smelling the sick scent of the flower from the day before. The aroma encapsulated her entire body, giving the disgusting, candy-like smell a body to travel with. Pidge turned on the shower and stepped in, without removing her clothes, allowing the scalding water to run along her, soaking the clothing she had fallen asleep in, as she had not bothered to change before going to sleep.</p><p><em>Never!</em> the voice hissed again. Pidge screamed in agony, slamming her fist into the wall and feeling the shock reverberate through her bone. The pain in her arm was nothing compared to what she felt in her stomach, her heart, her <em>mind.</em></p><p>Your mind is supposed to be your own, it is not something someone else should be able to infiltrate. They should not be capable of making you think thoughts that aren't your own.</p><p>"Pidge!? Are you okay? Whats's going on?" Lances voice rang through her room, the sound echoing into the bathroom. Pidge wanted to tell him to leave, but opening her mouth brought another bought of the poisonous, ill fating flowers, and as they spilled throughout the shower, falling from Pidge's hair and onto the wet, tile floor, all Pidge could feel was the pain, aching throughout her chest. She leaned her head against the smooth tile wall.</p><p>
  <em>You will be alone forever. No one can love you! If you want this to end, you must take matters into your own hands! If he won't love you, find someone who will!</em>
</p><p>"Lance," she breathed. "You have to leave."</p><p>"Pidge? Where are you?" Lance's words rang in her ears. His voice was so smooth. And the way he said her <em>name</em>.</p><p>
  <em>Look in his eyes, the pain will go away.</em>
</p><p>"Lance! You have to get o—" More flowers cut her off. She sank to her knees, but as she went down, she mistakenly grabbed the shower handle, tearing it from the wall and clattering to the ground.</p><p>In a bought of frustration, she hit the floor with the handle, shattering the small tiles beneath her. She screamed in pain, watching the petals fall to the ground as Lance burst in.</p><p>"Pidge?" he said softly, with the clear intention of not wanting to harm her any further with an abrasive tone. </p><p>"Lance," she started.</p><p><em>Look at him.</em> The voice pierced her mind, like needles digging into her temples.</p><p>"Pidge, look at me." Lance knelt down and gripped her shoulders, roughly tearing her gaze from the ground. Before her eyes could meet his, she snapped her eyes shut with as much force as she could muster.</p><p>"Pidge, look at me!"</p><p>"I can't," she whispered.</p><p>
  <em>Open your eyes!</em>
</p><p>"Pidge!" Lance shook her. She covered her eyes with her hands. The palms were sore, and she couldn't tell if it was blood or water that she pressed against her eyes. They were closed after all.</p><p>
  <em>Open them! Now!</em>
</p><p>"Pidge what the hell is wrong with you?!" Lance grabbed her arms and tried to drag her hands away from her face. He was successful, but her eyes remained shut.</p><p>
  <em>Open!</em>
</p><p>Pidge shook her head. "I can't, I can't, I can't!" she all but screamed.</p><p>"Why not!?" </p><p>
  <em>Look! Or die!</em>
</p><p>"I don't know!" she yelled. Another sharp pain hit. More flowers came out.</p><p>"Pidge. What the hell?"</p><p>"There is someone, in my head." Pidge reached up blindly, grasping onto what she thought was Lances's face.</p><p>"And, she's telling me, that I need to look at you. That it will make the pain, go away. But that can't happen. Because Keith doesn't love me back. So I'm going to die." Pidge removed her left hand from Lance's face to pull more flowers from her mouth, but she swore she felt him tense up under her right hand.</p><p>"You, love Keith?" he said it more as an observation than a question. That was the last thing she remembered before giving in, and opening her eyes.</p>
<hr/><p>"You, love Keith?" Lance felt his heart sunk into his stomach. Pidge finally opened her eyes. Lance breathed a sigh of relief, until he realized they were clouded over. It was barely noticeable, but this close to her, Lance could see the shiny pink luster coating her eyes like a film.</p><p>"At least, I thought I did." Her head cocked to the side and Lance found himself absolutely smitten for this girl. She giggled slightly. "Did you get me all of these flowers?" Her giggling grew louder and more enthusiastic. </p><p>She pushed Lance to the ground, climbing over his legs to straddle his waist. He pushed his upper body off the floor as Pidge cupped his face in her hands. Her wet clothes dropped water across his pants and along his shirt. She leaned in to kiss him, and Lance leaned forwards too, only to stop himself as her lips brushed his jaw.</p><p>"No, Pidge. You love... Keith. Not me. This is the poison. It's not you."</p><p>"Do you smell that, Lance? What does it smell like?" </p><p>"It smells like... you."</p><p><em>Kiss her. You've wanted this for so long.</em> A strange, unwelcome voice hissed in his ear. Lance felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, right beneath where Pidge sat on his waist. Lance turned his head to the side, and flower petals flew from his mouth.</p><p><em>Kiss her and your problem will be solved,</em> said the voice.</p><p>Lance wanted to fight it. He truly did. But the voice in his head made a good point. He had wanted this for a <em>long</em> time. And Pidge was right there.</p><p>He leaned forwards to capture her lips in his, and that's all he remembered before his mind went blank.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wrote this at 4 am and forgot how to spell the word petal half way through.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Bandannas 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Someone requested to see more of Camilla and Blue. Lance and Pidge are barely even in this one. If it's not your cup of tea feel free to skip on by.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Firm knocking at the door caught Camilla’s attention. She yanked her earbuds out and rose from the couch. She lazily shambled over to the small apartment door and looked out of the peephole. Two uniformed officers stood in the hallway. She nervously opened the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge Gunderson?” one of them asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?” she answered honestly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your name, sweetheart?” asked the second one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s asking?” she snarked. SHe crossed her arms and leaned her shoulder on the doorframe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An officer of the law, show some respect,” the first one barked. Camilla got the impression that he wasn’t the patient one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I can’t show respect to someone in a hat that stupid,” she laughed, pointing at the first mans head. The other cop had to subdue a laugh of his own, as he wasn’t wearing a hat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, she’s not wrong. I find it hard too,” said the second cop. He turned back to Camilla. “Seriously though, what’s your name, kid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camilla. Do you want to talk to my mom?” She turned her head back into the apartment. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mamma</span>
  </em>
  <span>! The cops are here. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Non è colpa mia, lo giuro!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mother rounded the corner from her room, drying her freshly washed hair. She stuck out her hand and shook with both officers.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There goes my mom, being nice to everyone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello ma’am, we’re here looking for someone named Pidge Gunderson, does the name ring any bells?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mother thought for a moment, then shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never heard of him. Sorry we couldn’t be of more assistance. Why are you looking for him?” she asked. Camilla knew when her mother actually cared, and right now, she did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This Gunderson fellow is wanted for gang affiliation. We’re questioning anyone he may have had contact with in the last five years,” explained cop number two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god. I hope no one around here has anything to do with him.” Her mother seemed genuinely concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We hope the same thing. Have a good day, ladies.” The first officer nodded once and Camilla closed the door. Her mother watched through the peephole until they were out of sight, then grabbed her phone and started dialing a number before Camilla could even blink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Lance, I need a favour.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom, what?” Camilla asked. Her mother held up a finger, telling her to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s Katie. I need to disappear for a while. I need you to take Cam.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom!” Camilla’s eyes blew wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camilla,” her mother said sternly. “I’ll explain in the car. Go pack what you need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla was shocked. Her mother had never spoken like that before. She turned on her heel and quickly walked to her room. She threw all the essentials into an old suitcase, and then stuffed her backpack full with her laptop, toolbelt and any trinkets she was currently working with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes of driving later, they arrived at a small townhouse. It was baby blue, and across from a playground. Camilla cringed at the thought of having to hear children playing early on weekends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mother had explained to her that she would be staying with a man named Lance McClain for a while. Camilla was shocked to find out that her own mother was, infact, Pidge Gunderson. She explained who Lance was, and how she knew him. Camilla was sworn to secrecy by her mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the last few minutes of the car ride, Camilla complained about a boy in not one, but two of her classes, gym and physics and engineering. His name was Blue, and he was a stuck up athlete with perfect grades, the perfect friends and the perfect girlfriend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He sounds perfect,” her mother teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the problem! He’s a total douche about it too. He’s constantly bragging about his full ride sports scholarship to </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>school of his choice. Fuck him.” Camilla slouched in her seat and crossed her arms. “He doesn’t like me either, which I am perfectly fine with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I detecting a smidge of jealousy?” her mother asked. “I mean, you’re the one that’s a grade ahead of everyone your age. You’ve got the good grades too, though I don’t fully trust the means by which you got them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom, I don’t cheat in class.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I’m saying.” She stopped the car. “I mean, perfect grades shouldn’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> perfect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have not once logged on to the teachers account and changed my social studies grade. Scouts Honour.” She held up three fingers in a mock salute and put her hand to her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should be scolding you, but the fact that you’re capable of doing that just makes me proud,” her mom laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That and principal Alfor is stupid enough to leave his username adn passcode on a sticky note on his goddamn desk.” She climbed out of the car and grabbed her bags. The two women walked up to the front door and Camilla used the lion knocker to get the attention of the residents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, you’ve grown so much,” said the man that answered the door. Camilla assumed he was Lance. He put out his hand and Camilla shook it. “I almost thought you were your mother, you’re the spitting image. Well, except for the hair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla had bleached her hair that previous summer, but her auburn roots were starting to show through again. She patted her messy bun and smiled. Lance seemed nice enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to see you Katie,” he said to her mother. The two shared a quick embrace. Then Katie pulled back and handed Lance a slip of paper. “I shouldn’t be gone more than a month or two. This is the number you can call if you need me, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> in an emergency.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pointed to the bottom of the paper. “Here are Camilla’s allergies. She will literally die if she drinks milk-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-and she’s a coffee addict. I’ve switched her to decaf, but she doesn’t know that yet.” The last bit was whispered, but Camilla still heard it anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did what!?” she screeched. That was news to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Calm down, Cam. Oh, and she tends to sneak out. She tries not to be heard, but she isn’t very quiet about it. I wouldn’t worry too much about her though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m only noisy because the floorboards in our apartment are made of two thousand year old whale scrotums. Now can you stop sharing every facet of my life with this man? I barely know him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, so she doesn’t remember me,” Lance mused. “Oh well, that’s probably for the best.” Lance stepped out of the doorway and motioned for Camilla to enter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it was good to see you,” said Katie. She hugged her daughter goodbye, said I love you, and left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll show you your room.” Lance led the way into the house. Camilla followed him to a plain white door, which opened to a plain white room. It was very plain, Camilla decided.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can make it your own. Put up posters, paint the walls, I couldn’t give less of a shit. My son sleeps next door, I can introduce you if you want. He’s about your age, I think, maybe a year older.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” said Camilla, following him to a room with yet another plain white door. He knocked twice, and a boy's voice said ‘come in.’ As soon as the door opened, Camilla’s stomach sank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, fuck me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, what is she doing here?” he asked, standing abruptly from his bed where he sat playing video games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her mom and I are close, and she had to go out of town. We’re housing Cam until she’s back,” he explained. Camilla’s death glare didn’t lighten at all. The fact that she would be sharing a house with this asshole made her life terrible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, I’m assuming you two know each other. I have to get to work. Cam, go ahead and explore the place. I’ll be home after you go to bed, so don’t wait up. You two can order pizza for dinner.” Blue nodded in understanding, before closing the door in Camilla’s face. Lance shook his head and sighed, but turned to leave for work nonetheless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first week was kind of bumpy. They had to catch the same bus, share the same bathroom, and Lance was almost never there to settle their petty disputes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you listen to music at a volume lower than 80 decibels?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You steamed up the bathroom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t drink that, you’re allergic!” “Fuck you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, bending like that is going to break your spine, Camilla.” Blue looked down at her. She was bent over backwards with one leg in the air. She had forged a doctor's note excusing her from gym class, but still wanted to stay nimble. It was easier to hop fences that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, listening to your voice is going to blow an artery in my brain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had managed to make civil conversation one night. Blue was too tired from football practise to insult her, and she was too lost in thought, typing up code and logging in to the principal's grade files to mess with people she hated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two had eaten their dinner at the table, instead of separately in their rooms. They learned each other's favourite games, colours and school subject. Blue’s favourite colour was yellow, and he seemed bashful when admitting that it was a happy colour. Camilla told him her favourite colour was blue, and not because that was his name, like he claimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One night, just after the eleven day mark, Camilla was scrolling through her Instagram feed, when she came across a recommended account. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>@haddyshotties</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla was curious. She had known Haddy since the later years of elementary school, and had hated her forever. But, she was Blue’s girlfriend, and according to him, she didn’t have Instagram. It was a private account, but her follow request was accepted almost right away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scrolled through the uploads. There were tons of images of Haddy kissing, partying and even groping guys. The latest upload was six hours earlier in the day, and the guy she was kissing </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn’t Blue. She felt sick to her stomach. Haddy was cheating on him. And with Kurt Haliday no less. One of Blue’s teammates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left her room quickly, hoping to catch Lance before he left for work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance!” she whisper-yelled. He turned around just as he was walking out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cam, is that an energy drink?” he asked sternly. “Come on, you know the rules.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held the can behind her back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not important right now. Ha-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, kiddo, I’m already late for work. Can this wait?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shut up and nodded solemnly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. There’s leftover pasta in the refrigerator. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla went back to her room. She may not have been the closest of friends with Blue, but she was not going to let a cheating bitch like Haddy make him miserable. She knew about his huge football game the next day. Haddy was a cheerleader, he was quarterback. Of course they would date. It was your stereotypical high school movie plot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla couldn’t help but be honest with him. She couldn’t let Blue think that his cheating girlfriend was loyal. She stood up from her bed and marched the three steps over to his room. She held up her hand, ready to knock, but a sound from inside stopped her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>When I see your face,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There's not a thing that I would change 'cause you're amazing,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just the way you are.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And when you smile,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The whole world stops and stares for a while.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>'Cause girl you're amazing,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just the way you are.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla recalled the conversation the two had over dinner a few days prior. He had admitted that he wanted to be a singer. Camilla wanted to be a writer. They had actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>bonded</span>
  </em>
  <span> over their future goals. And Camilla was about to ruin the happiness she heard as he strummed on his guitar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knocked a few times. He said a simple ‘yeah?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I come in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla opened the door and awkwardly stepped in. She didn’t care to close the door, and went to sit next to him on his bed. Her stomach churned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, so-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you need?” he asked, looking genuinely concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go get milkshakes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>NO!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, okay?” he chuckled. “I didn’t think we were that good of friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we can become friends?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>CAMILLA YOU IGNORANT FUCK!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up and held out her hand. He took it, and the two walked out to Blue’s car. </span>
  <span>Camilla and Blue drove in silence. It was comfortable on his part, but Camilla was worried that at any moment she would burst with the information on his girlfriend and best friend. It was very cliche, she thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ended up at DQ. Once Camilla made Blue order, and they got their milkshakes and fries, they sat at a booth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are we here, Cam?” he asked, swirling one of their fries in his shake. Camilla gave a small smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dang, you’re calling me Cam now? Are you sure we’re not friends?” she chuckled quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what it is, but I have this weird, vague memory of knowing you when I was little. I mean I have this memory of some traumatic shit happening with a girl, and she looked kind of like you.” He shrugged. “It’s weird.” He tossed the milkshake covered fry in his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn’t hold it back anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haddy is cheating on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blue looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla cringed. “With Kurt.” She slid her phone with the open Instagram page to let him scroll through on his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boyde, Ram, Jason, AJ. Fuck. A new guy every week.” He pushed the phone back across the table. “How long has this been going on?” he asked, to no one in particular. He buried his face in his hands. Camilla reached across the table and rubbed his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” She had no other words. Blue grabbed the tray of fries and threw it across the fast food diner and stood up, storming out. Camilla stood to go after him, but after seeing the crestfallen look of the singular employee, she opted to stay and help him tidy up the mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you don’t want to go after your friend?” he asked. Camilla shook her head. She watched out of the window as his yellow muscle car pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards their house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla was fine walking home anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After helping the employee clean up, she walked out of the building and received a notification that </span>
  <em>
    <span>@haddyshotties</span>
  </em>
  <span> had updated her story. It was a video of Haddy, Kurt and another football player, Donny, if she remembered correctly. They were all drinking and smoking in the football field behind the highschool. At that moment, Camilla got a very stupid, amazing idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She jogged/speed walked, cutting the normally fifteen minute walk from the Dairy Queen to the school down to ten. She had her phone camera at the ready. She quickly approached the group of eleventh graders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How does it feel to be a cheating bitch?” she almost yelled. The flashlight from her phone made Haddy and Kurt squint. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha- wh- who are you?” Haddy asked. “Camilla? What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exposing you, for underage drinking, on school property, no less, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> for blatantly cheating on McClain? Like, who puts up an entire Instagram page about all the guys she cheats on her boyfriend with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the fuck do you care? You don’t even like Blue!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I live with him, and I don’t want to live with his mopey ass for the next few weeks. I also can’t wait to see what the principal thinks when he sees a video of two football players and star student Haddy committing an illegal act on school property.” Camilla couldn’t fight the smirk growing as she ended the recording and closed her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh fuck, she’s recording!” Kurt screeched. He stood up and threw a full Palm Bay can at her. It missed, so she could tell he was really drunk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, a fist collided with the left side of her face. Then another to the nose. She had forgotten that Donny was there. She took a swing at him with her leg and hit him in a pretty detrimental spot if he ever planned on having kids, then bolted from the scene.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she felt like she was far enough away, she stopped running, and found herself at a nearby 7 Eleven.</span>
</p><p><em><span>Perfect.</span></em> <em><span>I’m out of Monster.</span></em></p><p>
  <span>She caught a glimpse of her face in the window. It was worse than she thought. A large bruise was forming on her left cheekbone, and both her nostrils were dripping a steady stream of blood. Makes sense, as she had been spitting out blood on the run there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy crap, are you okay?” asked the worker. She ran out from behind the counter. “Do you need me to call someone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, just ring me up if you please,” said Camilla. She placed two cases of Monster Energy Drink on the countertop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The employee looked skeptical, but did as she was asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Caught my buddies cheating girlfriend. The guy she was cheating on him with didn’t take too kindly to being called out,” she explained. The employee nodded. Camilla thanked her and walked out with her bag. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and cringed internally at the thick, pinkish liquid spread across the back of her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ew.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Blue realized that he had left Camilla at the restaurant. He grabbed his car keys from where he had dumped them on the counter and planned to go out and try to find her. As he was walking to the door, Camilla came in, bruised and bloodied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, Cammie, I’m so sorry!” he cried. He wrapped her in a hug. She may not have been able to tell, thinking of everything he said as an insult, but he had actually started to warm up to the young woman. He pulled back and gingerly held her face in his hands, examining her injuries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” he asked. Camilla pushed past him and grabbed a bag of peas from the freezer. She pressed them against her bruise and winced at the contact. She clearly didn’t know what she was doing, so Blue grabbed a cloth from one of the drawers and ran it under the cold tap. He carefully moved the peas from her face and replaced it with the cloth. It was much softer than the frozen vegetables.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had never actually been this close to her before. Unsurprising, because the two didn’t really get along. He found himself staring at her eyes. They were brown, but almost the colour of honey. And her skin was dotted with a million tiny freckles. They almost looked like constellations across her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cleared his throat and backed away, grabbing her a piece of paper towel to wipe the blood from her nose. When he turned back, however, she had unceremoniously wiped it away with the cloth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never told me what happened.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla jumped up onto the counter and opened one of the energy drinks.</span>
</p><p><em><span>God, she’s addicted to those things.</span></em> <span>He took it from her hand and put it on the other side of the kitchen. She cracked open another one, and Blue sighed, defeated.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Well, guys don’t like it when they get called out for cheating with someone else's girlfriend.”  She shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait? What?” he looked at her, anger growing in the pit of his stomach. “Kurt did this to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Donny. There was a lot of drinking. A Palm Bay was thrown at me. I think it was a bit of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>menage a trois</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the football field.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blue faked a retch, and Camilla giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God. It just hurts, you know? Like, I thought I loved her.” He leaned on the counter across from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You thought you did?” Camilla asked, dabbing at her nose with the cloth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t know. I guess, I haven’t ever said ‘I love you to anyone’ first. And if I said it at all, it was because I would have felt shitty not replying. And, I- I don’t know, it’s stupid.” He looked away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, you’re less of a stereotypical highschool protag than I thought when I first met you.” She took a sip of her drink and handed it out to him. He shook his head and instead grabbed the one he had tried to stop her from drinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To assholes.” She held out her can for a toast. He tapped his can against hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To assholes.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Camilla fell asleep that night plotting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next day, Blue had to get her out of her room before they missed the bus to school. She had woken up at an ungodly hour (three in the morning), slammed two Monster energy drinks, and did some major digging into Haddy Sincline and Kurt Haliday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dug through school records, FaceBook profiles, and even managed to remotely tap Kurt’s phone, as he wasn’t secure in the slightest. She had cackled hard enough to make Blue hit the wall to shut her up when she read text messages between Kurt and Mrs. Dailie. He had been sleeping with her to keep his grades up. That was going to be news to share tomorrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you know that Haddy isn’t her real name? It’s Haggar.” Camilla and Blue sat together for the first time on the bus. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait really? She never told me that.” Blue seemed to be taking the knowledge of Haddy cheating quite well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she’s named after her grandmother. Her dad is Lotor Sincline. I hope you knew that, since you were dating her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She never actually introduced me to her parents.” He looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Well shit.” Camilla thought for a minute. “Kurt is sleeping with Ms. Dailie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, really?” he laughed. “I always thought he was doing too well in English.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two deboarded the bus and were immediately approached by Camilla’s friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cammie! What happened?” Bandor screeched, looking at her cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got punched.” Camilla shrugged. Bandor’s eyebrows creased, asking for more information. Camilla shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna make it to Spanish,” she said to Bandor. She gave him a mock salute and walked off, Blue walking with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? You’re failing it!” Bandor yelled after her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re failing Spanish? You know, I’m fluent. I could help you out,” Blue offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilla side eyed him. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’ve done something for me, so I feel like I owe you.” He threw his arm around her shoulder. She giggled, feeling the heavy weight of his arm on her shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, well, Holt has a black eye. Rob a gas station and get caught?” one of the football players scoffed. He walked by and flicked her on the forehead. Blue did something that Camilla would never expect him to do, being the goody two shoes he is. He turned and completely bitch-slapped him across the back of the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want to fight me McClain!?” the guy turned around and pushed him back. Camilla stood between the two of them, trying to stop the brewing fight, but was only pushed to the side by the unnamed football player. That only fueled Blue’s fire. He punched him across the face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blue!” Haddy’s voice came through the gathering crowd. “Why the fuck are you fighting with Ram!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you’re in any place to be scolding Blue for anything!” Camilla barked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone calm down!” Bandor yelled. He grabbed Camilla and Blue by the arms and dragged them away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Blue asked the smaller teen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck?” Bandor asked the two of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My girlfriend is cheating on me. Cam was just being a good friend. She got punched and now I’m pissed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I plan to be a bitch to Haddy.” Camilla smirked and walked off, leaving the two boys behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bell rang for the first period, and Camilla sat down in the cafeteria, fished out her laptop and started typing away. She tapped into the principals feed for morning announcements and took over, speaking into the microphone in her earbuds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Attention students, attention students, please excuse this interruption. Haddy Sincline’s real name is Haggar.” She heard uproarious laughter from a nearby classroom. “Kurt Haliday is sleeping with one of his teachers, whom I will not name, because I like said teacher.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Donatello, captain of the football team, sleeps with a nightlight. Don’t worry Donny, the dark is a very scary place.” She used a baby voice in order to mock him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also Haddy, aka Haggar has slept with the entire football team. You can find all of her scandals on her instagram account, Haddys hotties. And I’m breaking up with her in her boyfriend's stead. He’s too nice to say that she's a bitchass liar. There will be video evidence posted on the school website later today.” She looked to the side and saw the office secretary coming towards her. She looked quite angry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Last but not least, Kurt got an STD from the teacher he’s fucking. Gotta go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slapped her laptop shut and grabbed her bag, not bothering to zip it shut. She ran to the shop wing of her school and ducked into the girls bathroom. Thankfully, she had her hood up, and her face wasn’t visible. She removed her sweater and restyled her hair, letting it down from it’s previous ponytail, just in case it had been seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She went to her Spanish class like nothing had happened. She sat next to Bandor as the laughter died down. He leaned over and thanked her for providing the school with some actually interesting announcements.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She once again opened her laptop and changed her attendance from absent to present, and proceeded to not understand a word the teacher said.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Blue walked into the house from football practice and heard music blasting from the kitchen. He assumed that Camilla was home. He walked into the kitchen and saw her. She was standing at the sink, washing dishes and… dancing? He started to laugh, but realised that she was actually really good at it. The way her hips moved to the beat and she tapped her feet at the right time, did a little spin here, a chacha there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had never seen her this content, just free to do what she pleased, thinking that no one was home. It had been about three weeks since the fiasco with Haddy and Kurt, and Blue was starting to feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> long time. He felt the same kind of admiration for Camilla that he had felt for a little girl at the park when he was seven years old. He couldn’t remember her name, but he recalled the feeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little bit of Monica in my life…” she sang the bridge of the song. Suddenly the feeling overtook him and he walked up behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camilla,” he said, placing his hands on either side of her, resting them on the counter. She spun around, startled, and her soapy hands went up, to not coat either of them in water and suds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Blue could lose the nerve, he closed the small gap between them, capturing her lips gently in his. She stiffened, but when he let his eyes slip shut, she melted against him, resting her soapy hands against the base of his hairline, twirling the ends of his hair in her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The song ended, and they remembered the running tap behind Camilla. She pulled back and reached behind her to turn it off and plunge her hands back into the sink water and finish washing the dishes. Blue stayed where he was, hands around her waist, and his chin resting on her shoulder. He admittedly had to lean quite far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out of my house.” Blue’s father sounded both angry and concerned. He sat up from his place in bed. According to his clock it was 1:42 am.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see the woman hasn’t returned. Well, no matter. I’m here for that girl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a loud clatter and the sound of dishes shattering had him springing out of bed. Camilla’s shouts of distress rang through the hallways, her curses and vulgar words not deterring the intruder. He threw open his door and watched as she was carted down the hallway, thrown over a </span>
  <em>
    <span>giant</span>
  </em>
  <span> man’s back. She pounded her fists against his back, but it did nothing more than make the man angry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His arms were trapped to his side, and he was dragged out, his feet scraping against the floor in an attempt to stop whoever had his arms trapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad!” he yelled. His father was lying unconscious on the kitchen floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two were placed in the backseat of a vehicle and the other men sat in the front. The one in the passenger seat held a gun to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The car ride was silent. Blue held Camilla in his arms, only moving to press a kiss to the crown of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pulled up to a warehouse. There was a large mudpit in the parking lot. The teenagers were dragged into the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not long after they arrived, a man with long white hair walked in front of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re the one that dated my daughter.” He pointed a gun at Blue. He was having a major sense of deja vu. He remembered this exact scenario from a dream he had. It was incredibly vivid, so he wasn’t surprised that he remembered it from almost ten years prior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give us back our children,” a woman said. It was Camilla’s mother, he assumed, as they looked almost identical.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie, nice of you to join us. Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> McClain. It’s a big family reunion isn’t it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cut the shit!” Blue’s father yelled. He held a gun of his own. Blue looked over at Camilla. Her eyes were full of fear as the man, Lotor, if Blue remembered correctly, walked towards her and pressed the gun to her forehead. Blue noticed that his finger wasn’t on the trigger, however. Camilla’s eyes squeezed shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You humiliated my daughter. That’s unacceptable.” Camilla had been pushed to her knees, and Lotor stood towering over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well, you’re daughter is kind of a bitch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Camilla Louise, this is not the time to be a smartass,” her mother snapped. She held a gun of her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blue tried to catch Camilla’s eye. The man behind her stood with his legs in a wide stance. He knew Camilla had otherworldly flexibility, and could get out of the situation.</span>
</p><p><em><span>Grab the gun</span></em><span>.</span> <span>He mouthed. When she gave a subtle nod, he continued. </span><em><span>Go backwards.</span></em></p><p>
  <span>She did as she was told. She looked up at Lotor and he placed the barrel of the gun in her mouth, clearly trying to scare her. She locked her jaw and wrenched it from his grip. She essentially did the worm and went between the legs of the man standing behind her. She climbed up onto his back and shot at the man holding Blue. He was able to scramble away, as both his father, and Katie let out shots of their own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four sprinted to Katie’s green station wagon, Camilla and Blue clambering into the backseat while their respective parents took the front. Katie pulled out of the parking lot and sped down the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, what the fuck?” Camilla screeched. Ignoring her, the adults shared a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deja vu, huh Lance?” asked Katie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost the exact same, though this time I don’t think I’m gonna be getting a kiss again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck!?” Camilla repeated her previous statement.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. You'll get turned into a rug</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“We don’t want your kind here,” said a man. He was sitting at a table with a mug of ale clutched tightly in his hand. Meklavar and Pike were getting plenty of dirty looks. Meklavar could tell that they were more directed towards Pike, and she was ready to snap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two approached the innkeepers bar and requested a room. The innkeeper gave Pike a glare. His words made Meklavar’s blood boil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t serve </span>
  <em>
    <span>cat’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> here,” he all but spat. Meklavar fumed, but Pike put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand. May my companion stay?” he asked kindly. Meklavar gave him a look of ‘what the hell?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The innkeeper thought for a moment, looking Meklavar up and down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dwarf?” he asked. Meklavar nodded skeptically. “Fine. We have a one open room with one bed. Fourth floor.” He glared at Pike. “Fifty GAC.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pike handed Meklavar a coin pouch and ruffled her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you in the morning.” He pulled her in for a hug and then left, dirty glares following him on his way to the door. He turned and blew a kiss to Meklavar dramatically, and despite her anger towards the other residents of the inn, she smiled at him. Then she turned and brandished her axe towards the innkeeper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t he be in here?” she all but yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cat’s are thieves. Murderers. They’re sneaky bastards that I do not trust,” he said calmly, unphased by the weapon. Meklavar scrunched her face up in frustration, but placed her weapon on her back holster once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dumped out all the coins from Pike’s coin purse unceremoniously and snatched the key he held out. She stomped up the stairs to the fourth and top floor. Clearly it was given to her to keep Pike from reaching the room. She grumbled as she started taking off her armour, throwing it to the side. She sat on the bed and thought, hoping to think of a way to sneak Pike in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soft raindrops drew her gaze to the ceiling. The light pattering rapidly grew more intense, until the roof sounded like it was about to cave in. Meklavar’s heart grew heavy, as she looked out the window and saw Pike hiding under a tree, using his cloak as shelter from the rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened the window, and opened her mouth to call out to him. She halted, however, when the thought of the innkeeper scolding her worried her. Pike noticed her, though, and waved with a smile, despite the rain pelting his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waved him over and he looked around before sprinting up to the inn. He threw down one of his smoke bombs and appeared perched on the window sill. His hair was dripping wet and his skin was soaked. She held out her hand to help him into the room and he took it gently. He pulled her flush against his body to hold her tight in a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s only one bed,” she said, cheek stuck to his damp shirt. She looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest. He smiled down at her gently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I refuse to let a lady take the floor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could make it work?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be tight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been in worse scenarios.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pike leaned down to nuzzle his nose against her forehead and she blushed. She pressed a fleeting kiss to his collarbone, just where she could reach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re soaking wet,” she grimaced, peeling his thin shirt away from his stomach. She gave a disgusted scowl at the squishing sound it made. “Disgusting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to complain if I change?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not out here you won’t,” she pulled back, crossing her arms. “There’s a washroom right there.” She pointed to a small door nestled into the wall. Pike obliged and walked in with his bag over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meklavar took this opportunity to change into her own sleep wear. She laid her newly damp clothes (thanks to Pike’s hug) out by the fireplace and started a small flame to dry them. She would make Pike put his own down as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat on the bed and pulled off her boots. Pike emerged from the washroom with a towel over his shoulder and a ball of clothes in his hands. He threw them next to the fire, ignoring Meklavar’s protests.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They won’t dry like that,” she complained. He waved his hand and she pursed her lips. He threw himself onto the bed, landing on his stomach. The shock on the bed caused Meklavar to bounce slightly. She shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s tomorrow me’s problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And tomorrow me will not be sympathizing with you,” she said, laying down on her side and facing him. His tail flitted back and forth, until eventually coming to a rest on Meklavar’s waist. A shiver ran up her spine at the contact. Pike gave her a smile and then wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for sneaking me in, Mek,” he whispered. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you get caught in here you’ll get turned into a rug,” she joked. Pike looked at her softly and she felt her heart flutter, like it always did when he was gentle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a price I’m willing to pay, just to be here with you,” he said. He leaned down to capture her lips with his. His kisses were soft, and Meklavar loved each time their lips connected or noses bumped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two fell asleep that night wrapped in each other's arms.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. For a narc, you're very sweet.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lance sat in his cop car, just waiting for a call on the police scanner. His best friend and partner, Keith, sat in the seat next to him, chowing down on a burger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, get out of that mood. Something will come up. Dispatch will call us and someone will get thrown behind bars. Get your panties out of a bunch, man.” Keith patted his friend on the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On cue, the static from the scanner erupted and their dispatcher, Allura, started speaking rapidly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Guys, we have a 10-14, harassment. It’s a gang. One of them is armed</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it. Thanks ‘Lura! We love you!” said Lance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the location?” Keith asked gruffly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Armstrong and Third</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” came the voice and static from the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“10-4,” Lance replied. “En route.” Lance turned on the car and pulled out of the parking space they sat in. He picked up the receiver and spoke into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silent run?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Affirmative.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance drove quickly through the city, pulling to a stop about a block away from the designated destination. The two men climbed out of their vehicle and tucked their weapons in their shoulder holsters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” Lance asked. Keith hadn’t been in the field in a while. He had screwed up and his last partner had lost his arm. Luckily, the man was given a fully functional metal prosthetic. But Keith still blamed himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Let’s go.” They walked down the road nonchalantly, searching for the gang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, little mama,” a man purred. He came out of a nearby alley way, cat calling a young college age girl. “Where are you rushing off to so fast?” The man ran a hand through his long white hair. He looked like a pimp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On my way to fuck your mom with a twelve inch strap-on,” the girl snapped. She continued walking and adjusted the way her bag sat on her shoulders. The man walked up behind her and grabbed her backpack, pulling her backwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you say to me, you little bitch,” the man growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I wouldn’t have said anything, if you hadn’t started chatting me up?” the girl spun around and crossed her arms. “Can I leave?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You- you’re Pidge Gunderson. You’re the asshole that scammed me! I want my money back, you piece of shit!” the man yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t scam you, you made a bad decision. That’s no one's fault but your own, asshole.” The young woman shrugged her shoulders. “Also what am I? A little bitch, an asshole, or a piece of shit? Make up your mind, douche.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you took my money and gave me fake cargo!” The man raised his hand to slap the woman. That is when Lance and Keith rushed into the fight. Keith twisted the man's raised arm behind his back and Lance pulled the lady backwards into their car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who the fuck are you?” the young woman screeched. When she was placed in the back of the police vehicle, Keith hopped into the front passenger seat. Lance quickly slipped in beside him and turned around to face the girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Name?” Keith asked as Lance grabbed a notepad and pen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would you like it to be?” she smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The name on your birth certificate,” Lance snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh, someone is in a bad mood. You good buddy? Also what happened to my friend over there? We were having a great conversation.” She put her feet on the centre console between the front seats. Lance cursed the fact that they were in his car and not a company vehicle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you sell him?” Lance asked, ignoring the young woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your soul. That’s right. My name is Satan, and I sell unauthorized souls. How long does that warrant in prison? Not long, right?” she asked sarcastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to shut up and give us actual answers!” Keith shouted, slamming his fist down on the console, right next to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want? Me to shut up, or me to give you answers. Are you a cop? I thought they were smarter? Also where are the donuts? And harsh coffee stench?” the girl leaned forwards and smirked at the two men in front of her. Then rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. You’ve broken me,” she mocked. “My name is Katie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie?” Lance asked her, writing the information on the pad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holt.” Katie leaned back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you do?” Lance asked her. She sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a college student. I work at a local diner. I haven’t done anything illegal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So why was that guy so mad at you?” Keith crossed his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My friend got a call from a guy he knew, and told me to go with him. I didn’t want him getting in shit, so I agreed. Is it a crime to help my friend?” Katie raised her eyebrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess not. What were you and your friend headed out to do?” Lance asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Legal’ drug deal. I didn’t do anything. But I’m not selling him out. That guy in the street, he was the person my friend sold to. I guess he just linked me with it all. Not sure what went wrong, I really don’t know a lot about that kind of stuff.” Katie shrugged, a small frown on her face. She lost her cocky attitude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was your friend’s name?” Lance asked, poised to continue writing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She said she wasn’t going to sell him out dumbass.” Keith cuffed him on the back of his head. “How long ago did you go with him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A week ago,” she said solemnly. She looked down at her hands in her lap and fidgeted with her cell phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Is she crying?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lance thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s all right, you’re not in trouble.” Lance took her hand gently and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and she nodded, using the palm of her hands to wipe her eyes and nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to your friend?” Lance asked, a wave of protectiveness for this girl suddenly washing over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I found him, with a gunshot in his stomach. He was standing in front of my apartment. I took him in, but he told me not to call the cops. He couldn’t really breathe, or speak, and-” she choked over her own sobs, and Lance quickly opened his door and rushed into the backseat to comfort the young woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take your time,” Keith reassured her. He handed her a tissue from the glove box. She wiped her eyes with it, smearing it with a light dusting of mascara.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He died. That night, on my bed. I didn’t know what to do, so I called the hospital, and they took him. I don’t know what happened to him, and I don’t know where he is, or what is happening right now,” she sighed. “He was a terrible person, but I loved him like a brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Keith could repeat his earlier question, about who he was, she said;</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“James Griffin.” She breathed out heavily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Katie, we’re going to take you down to the station, you’re going to file a report, and we’re going to help find out what happened to James. We’re here to help you,” Keith spoke soothingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Katie continued nodding and wiped her eyes one more time, before stuffing the tissue in her pocket and settling into the seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any clue who James was with before he came to your house?” Keith asked Katie. She shook her head. “Right. Okay. The autopsy should be ready soon. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to help, though. That was my best friend.” Katie stood from her seat, and glared down at the two detectives in front of her. Lance stood to match her height, standing much taller. “Please.” She looked him in the eye. He nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. You can help us. But you stay behind us if we go into the field, and you listen to our every word. Got it?” Lance asked sternly. Katie nodded quickly, thanking them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kogane, McClain, we have information on James Griffin’s death.” Hunk dropped a small file and a laptop on the desk next to the three of them and Keith snatched the file into his hands, flipping through it quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was skin under his fingernails, we’re running it through the DNA scanner now. We’ll have the results in about half an hour. In the meantime, see what you can find.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two men took the file and walked down to their vehicle, followed by Katie. She sat in the passenger seat before Lance could get to it, and smirked up at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scoot,” he demanded. She just sank father into the seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck, she’s cute.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed, but looked down at her with what he hoped was a stern look. He noticed her cheeks rose a little bit, and she moved from the seat, sliding into the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really hate the inability to open the doors back here,” she said, pulling the door shut. Keith scoffed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t trust that you’re not using us for some sick gain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I do that?” She batted her eyelashes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haven’t quite figured that out yet, have you buddy,” Lance chuckled, elbowing him slightly. Keith just started driving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance and Katie chatted for a bit. He told her all about work in the field. Keith would give him the odd glare if his explanations got too in depth, however. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few moments of silence from Katie, Lance looked back and stared at her. She was typing rapidly on a laptop. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The</span>
  </em>
  <span> laptop that Hunk had set down with the case file. She looked up at him, probably feeling his stare. She smirked and turned the laptop around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, you need to fix your footprint. If I can get into the precincts databases from this far away, you’re doing something wrong.” She typed a few more things in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance tried to reach back and grab it, but he forgot about the little cage separating them, and only ended up ramming his fingers into it. He cringed when his knuckles cracked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’d you get that?” Keith demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Criminal affiliation,” she singsonged. Lance glared at her, but before he could say anything, the radio crackled to life. It was Shiro, and he sounded pissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>McClain, Kogane, there’s been a breach. Someone has shut down all of the electricity, and the holding cell opened. Do you have any idea who would have done this?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he all but shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops,” came Katie’s voice from the back seat. “I meant to just shut off the lights. I’ll close that back up.” She typed quickly, chewing her bottom lip. Lance had to look away, afraid to say something stupid. Keith noticed, and rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie, you can’t have that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I do. And I just did your job for you.” She grinned at Lance smugly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? How?” Keith stared at her through the rear view mirror. Lance was now almost completely rotated in his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I just logged into the security files of James’ apartment. Scrolling, scrolling,” she said as she ran her finger down the touchpad. “Ah, okay if James arrived at my house at about 10, and without that wound, he would have taken at least two minutes to drive, so lets say five minutes to stop my brain from hemorrhaging. The location of the gunshot meant that he would only have about…” Lance’s heart started thumping, ready to burst from his chest while she rambled quietly to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At max, fifteen minutes,” Keith added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fifteen minutes before he completely bled out. But I bandaged it, so the bullet… can I see the file?” she looked up, eyes wide, examining Lance. Her eyes looked gentle for once, not the smirk or teasing grin she seemed to keep. Lance managed to slip the file through the top of the grate and Pidge opened it quickly, scanning it with a finger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, there it is. He was shot in the intestine, which means after the fifteen minutes, with the admittedly shitty bandage job, it was only an hour before he actually died, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was going to answer, but it registered that he was actually speaking to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that means he was hit at about nine, which means…” her eyes blew wide. “Fuck, it was Kinkade!” she all but yelled. Keith pulled the car to a stop and Lance tried to see the screen. She spun the laptop around and he watched as a man pressed a handgun to James’ stomach and let a shot ring off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He knew what he was doing. There was only one camera that wasn’t shut down, probably for someone else to keep an eye on things,” she said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re on our way to James’ apartment right now,” said Keith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the point? We already have the proof that it was this Kinkade guy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ryan,” Katie added in. “I know where he lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> A few minutes of silence later other than the odd direction from Katie, and they arrived at Kinkade’s apartment. Katie leaned against the wall, staying out of direct eyesight from the doorway. Lance understood why. Keith knocked on the door, and a dark skinned man answered the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ryan Kinkade?” Keith asked. He nodded. Lance pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his jacket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re under arrest for the murder of James Griffin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kinkade pushed past the two and tried to sprint down the hall. Lance silently thanked everything he could think of that Katie was with them, as the punch she threw out stopped a foot chase. Kinkade was knocked to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gunderson,” he said, barely audible. Katie shrugged, a sly smirk on her face. Keith didn’t seem to notice as he knelt down to cuff Kinkade and started relaying his Miranda rights. Lance made a mental note to ask Katie about it later on.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>James’ funeral wasn’t very large, but more people arrived than Lance had expected. It took place inside, at a shady and cheap funeral home. His family members, friends; like Katie, and the people that he sold drugs to. Katie stayed at the back, next to Lance, however keeping her distance, so as not to be associated with him. Keith had opted out, never being the type for funerals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Towards the end of the service, Katie pushed herself off the wall and walked out of the building. Had Lance not been standing near her, he wouldn’t have seen the two men follow her out. Like the detective he was, he went after them. He watched as Katie looked over her shoulder and started sprinting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gunderson!” one of the men yelled. He was the one that had been catcalling her the day they met. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Who the hell is Gunderson?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He raced after the three. Katie scrambled over a chain link fence and landed on her hands and knees, staining her jeans with mud. One of the two men caught up with her and grabbed a handful of her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me my money,” he said angrily. Lance had to stop running after them. His professional duty said to stop what was happening, but his personal curiosity halted him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t. You shot the only guy that could have. Too bad, so sad.” A yank on her hair pulled a pained yell from her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he barked. Katie glared at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did my job. I got you the info. You were unhappy with it. Not my fault.” She reached up and grabbed his wrist, trying to remove his grip. This is where Lance intervened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NYPD, put your hands in the air.” He held up his badge and gun. Both men immediately sprinted from the scene. Lance grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to his car. She climbed into the passenger seat, begrudgingly. He slipped into the drivers side and looked at her. She only stared ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what diner did you say you work at?” he asked angrily. She stayed silent. “What information did you give that man?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I helped him find a scammer.” She shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I make money by illegally finding hidden information about people on the internet. Or breaking into small businesses.” She crossed her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a hacker,” said Lance. It was quiet for a minute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to arrest me?” she asked after a while. She looked at him with only her eyes. She looked scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said softly, looking down. “You helped solve a murder in record time. I think that warrants some kind of a pardon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Full pardon?” she asked, more teasing than before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Depends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No physical harm has come to anyone due to my work. Other than myself,” she muttered. Lance didn’t have an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did Kinkade call you Gunderson?” He rested his elbow on the closed door, resting his chin on the back of his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Street name Pidge Gunderson. An alias. I’m not giving out my own personal information that easily.” She shrugged again. Lance nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“James was a drug dealer. Did you know?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you ever do any?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotta keep a clear head. Never touched them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I’m giving you that kind of information.” She shook her head, suppressing a smile. She laughed slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, I’m not letting you walk,” he said gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For a narc, you’re very sweet,” she said, grinning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not if you call me a narc!” he exclaimed, sitting up straight. “I might have to call you in for that alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off!” she laughed, pushing him gently.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Prepare your asses for a sequel to this part because boys I have an idea.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Part two to chapter 11? (For a narc you're very sweet)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The call rang and Lance tapped his foot impatiently, careful not to hit one of the pedals. His hand held the phone to his ear. Finally, the clicking sound filled his ear and a busy room with a lot of sounds answered him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Alright boys, throw your bullets, call the cap or bump the call, place your bets, I’m dealing, hey batter, batter let’s swing, OH! Ace’s high lads!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Pidge cheered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you calling a poker game?” he asked incredulously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes, I am. What do you want?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she asked quickly. The sound of shuffling cards filled the call.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need your help. Can you go somewhere that we can talk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>The best I can do is keep you off speakerphone. Oh, damn, looks like we’ve got ourselves a broomcorn’s uncle. Get outta here boy, broke fellas can’t bet 'n if you can’t bet you can’t play,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she said. Lance could almost picture her shrugging and giving a fake sympathetic smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of a gun cocking put him on edge. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>This is bullshit! You’re cheating the game!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” a man yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why would the dealer cheat a game?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she asked, cocking a gun of her own. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Look man, I’m in good with the cops, I think you should walk away with your life because we both know I’ll be walking free no matter what.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge, you can’t make threats like that while I’m on the phone,” Lance exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shut it, McClain.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Another gun clicking. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thanks, Bandor. Game over, you lot are hard to play with. I’ll hold this till next week and we’ll have the starting bet. Same time, same place boys.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why are you the one holding it?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hey, don’t question the boss. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Adios.” The sound of her ruffling a bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Get back here with my money!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what do you need?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>So, what do you need?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance looked to his passenger seat. There sat Pidge, hair mussed and breathing heavily. Gorgeous as ever. He quickly hung up the phone and gave her all of his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Met Gala, this weekend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And?” she asked, unimpressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We got an anonymous tip that someone was planning to rob one of the attendants. Unfortunately, we believe that the tipper is actually the one planning to rob the place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you need me to backtrack the message to find out who sent it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. And during the actual Gala, Keith and I will be there monitoring everything. We can’t let the security team know, because they aren’t good at the whole secrecy thing, and some people would panic, yadda yadda.” Lance explained, using hand motions, mimicking people talking. Pidge giggled at him. “And we need you there as well, keeping an eye on the camera’s and stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup. I can do that. I assume you’re attending as a guest?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We all are,” he said slyly. He loved the way Pidge’s face went from smugness to curiosity and confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” she asked, eyebrows furrowing. As always, Lance’s heart fluttered. He was so enamoured with this girl. She was a criminal, but she was a good person deep down. She babysat her neighbour's children, helped the elders in her apartment buildings with groceries and gave up her seat on the bus every time it was too busy for someone else to sit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance had seen many of these instances in person. Most of the time any money she made went towards helping those in even more need than her. Lance knew that he was in love. He knew that he couldn’t do anything about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge had an easy time getting through to the tips identity. It was a man named Zarkon. No known criminal record, but a lot of his accomplices had them. Pidge was uneasy whilst looking into his personal information. Lance stood behind her while she typed, giving her shoulders the odd encouraging squeeze.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>She isn’t going to show up,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Keith said through his earpiece. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up. She’s helped us this far,” Lance defended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Probably some sick game. She’s a criminal.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keith, shut up,” Lance hissed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance shivered as small, dainty hands ran up his shoulders. The crooks of elbows rested on his shoulders and the hands clasped in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah Keith,” Pidge purred. She leaned against Lance’s back and he put his forearm on the window in front of him, resting his forehead against his arm. “Shut up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance chuckled lightly. He turned around and his hands instinctively went to rest on her hips. She wore a soft mint dress. It was sleeveless, tight around her torso, falling loose the rest of the way to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re at the goddamn Met Gala, and you’re wearing a simple suit?” she teased, running her finger along the fold of his jacket. “Boy, ya basic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, my tie is blue,” he defended himself. Pidge giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. The two stood in an upper area to the building. There was a large window looking down at the rest of the Gala, where the other attendees were eating their dinner. Keith was among them, simply walking around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was observing from up above. At least he was. Now he stood with Pidge, swaying back and forth to inaudible music. Lance started to hum, and Pidge rested her head on his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Found him,” she whispered. She pointed through the window to a man walking towards the celebrity Romelle. She didn’t have any last name listed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you make a distraction?” he asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m great at it!” she grinned and then ran over to her computer. Lance ran downstairs, alerting Keith of where Zarkon was. He reached the bottom floor when strobe lights started flashing, and flames shot up from each garbage can and plant around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hello everybody! This is a surprise that we here at the Gala are bringing you! We need everybody to hide their jewelry though because someone here wants to rob you!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Music started blasting through the speakers behind Pidge’s voice. Lance watched as Zarkon looked up, and he followed the large man's gaze. He was angrily staring up at Pidge, who was hunched over her laptop, typing quickly. He started storming towards the stairs, and Lance had to follow quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was blocked by a burst of flame from a nearby plant that had toppled over. Pidge really did put a lot of work into her end of the bargain. The flame shut off and Lance ran by. Zarkon had already made his way upstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was dead on the floor by the time Lance made it upstairs. Pidge stood, dress splattered with blood, both hands on the gun. Her hands were shaking. Lance approached her cautiously, and she dropped the weapon. He hugged her tightly. He barely noticed the weight shift in his pocket. He assumed it was just Pidge grabbing his jacket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, Pidge’s lips were on his own. It was a needy, intense kiss. And Lance accepted it fully, wrapping his arms around her to hold her closer.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Later in the evening, Pidge sat in Lance’s car, quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was self-defence, Pidge,” Lance said gently. “It’s alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I killed someone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you defended yourself, that’s completely acceptable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have to turn me in now, don’t you?” she asked, looking at him with watery eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. It’s okay.” He held her hand in his, rough skin meeting rougher skin. Her hands weren’t as soft as he had previously assumed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, he-he’s dead,” she said softly, tears spilling. Lance placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand and placed his free hand on her cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go home, Katie. It’s alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pidge nodded and left his car, holding her phone tight in her hand. He watched as she walked away, the hem of her bloodstained dress sweeping the ground with each step she took.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Hermoso</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's kinda short but I just needed to get this lil idea out, so here you go.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You think you’re so tough!?” she yelled in anger, throwing herself against the cell door. “Why don’t you come over here so I can smash that fucking smile off your fucking face!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge, you need to calm down, the others are coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shiro!” she cried, looking back at him. “They have Lance! What if Keith and Hunk don’t get here in time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiro looked to the side. His metallic arm was chained to the wall, but he opened his unaltered arm and Pidge hugged him tightly. Shiro sighed. “We’ll save him, I promise,” he said. Pidge let a tear fall down her cheek, fear for her teammate, her best friend taking over her mind. It muddled her brain and all she could think of was her sheer terror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A scream had her tearing away from Shiro and once more pressing her face against the bars of the cell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get away from him!” her voice cracked, and in a bought of rage she could only describe as animalistic, another blow with her shoulder had the center bar snapping in half. Though she couldn’t tell if the sound came from the bar or her left shoulder. The searing pain in her shoulder went largely ignored by her, aside from a singular cry of pain. She bent the bars away and crawled through, barely acknowledging the now growing agony in her arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ignored the calls of Shiro telling her to stop. She saw red. Lance’s screams and cries of pain rang through the building, and as if something was drawing them together, she just knew where to go. She ran into a couple of sentries, and she held up her arm as a sword came down. The glowing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot</span>
  </em>
  <span> metal melted through the white and green of her armour, digging into her flesh when it reached the end of her protection. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swore out loud and jammed her bayard into the center of the sentry’s body, and it fizzled out. She deactivated her bayard, for the time being, cradling her left arm. Of course, she would throw up her dominant arm in the way, blocking her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“LANCE!” she screamed. She skidded to a halt in front of a room with a sealed door. Through the window, she could see Lance suspended, feet barely reaching the floor, as a woman with a disgusting, tattered cloak and long white hair circled him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now tell me, which of the Paladins means the most to you?” she asked. Lance stayed silent and was prodded with a long, electric stick. His cry of torment rang through the chamber. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not saying anything,” he refuted through gritted teeth. He was jabbed with the ike another time. His armour was removed, and the only thing he had left on his body was the lower half of the black undersuit. There were visible tears in his skin and burns littered his upper body. Pidge put a hand over her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shot an approaching sentry with her bayard, and then pulled it back and opened the door to the chamber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get.” She lit her bayard, “away.” She grit her teeth, “from.” She shot her bayard at the woman, “him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pidge, no!” Lance yelled. She hesitated for a moment, and that was most definitely a mistake, as it gave the witch-woman ample opportunity to send her small body flying to the side. Black spots danced in her vision as her now limp form hit the wall. She landed on her (probably broken) shoulder and screamed out in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katie!” Lace screamed. “Don’t you touch her. Get the fuck away from her! No!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance screamed profanities at the woman as she approached Pidge. Black fuzz marred the edges of her vision. An electric shock ran through her whole body and she screamed when it didn’t relent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance was at her side in an instant when the witch was shot to the side by Hunk’s blaster. She winced as he unceremoniously pulled her into his lap. His chest was warm against her cheek, and she let her eyes slip closed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Katie, wake up, stay with me,” he said loudly. He slapped her cheek lightly and shook her gently. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hermosa</span>
  </em>
  <span>, stay with me. Hey, we have to beat Killbot,” he whispered. She smiled up at him softly and lifted her injured arm to run her hand against his jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t go to sleep, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm,” Pidge mumbled, wincing as she dropped down her arm. “‘M still awake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, we’ll get you to a pod soon, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance,” she said, grabbing his hand from her face. “Am I gonna die?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hermosa</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you won’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She started to hyperventilate when Lance picked her up and carried her to a lion, with the help of Shiro, who had somehow gotten out of the cell he was trapped in. He sat, holding Pidge while the lions were flown to the Castle. She was rushed to a pod, and he was placed in one as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cryogenic sleep he was put in left shivers in his body, even after he fell out. Pidge was sitting on the ground next to his pod, typing away on her laptop. He leaned down and tapped her shoulder, and she looked up in surprise. She smiled. God, he loved that smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sharpshooter. How’s it going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stiff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatcha doing?” He leaned down at the waist to see what she was typing on her laptop. He wanted to act as nonchalant as possible in case she remembered how frantic he had been while she was injured. He sat next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked at her with admiration in his eyes and wished he had the guts to put his cheek on the crown of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I learned that my data plan works this far away from earth because some types of metal in the engines of the lions act as a power line to carry an internet connection out here. I think it's from your lion, collecting the transfer signals when it was on earth with us. But my plan is frozen, which means I’m not gonna get charged for how much data I use from my phone. Alas, wifi. I’m just hotspotting from my phone to my laptop so I can do some research.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Research for what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beautiful, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he spluttered, turning to face her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That word you called me? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hermosa</span>
  </em>
  <span>? It means beautiful.” She horribly butchered the pronunciation of the word, but Lance was too shocked to correct her</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-how’d you know that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good ol’ google translate.” She closed her laptop and patted it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, um…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I thought it was cute. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hermoso.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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